Artist rendering of a Danish MQ-9B medium altitude, long endurance drone (Danish Ministry of Defence)
BELFAST — Denmark and the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) have reached an agreement on the acquisition of four General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9B SkyGuardian medium altitude, long endurance drones to be operated by the Nordic nation and other allies.
The Danish Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the move in a Tuesday statement, in what it called a “milestone in the building of Danish surveillance capabilities in the Arctic and the North Atlantic.”
Despite not sharing a contract value of the order, Copenhagen noted that aircraft deliveries are scheduled to take place between 2028 and 2029. The wider package also includes three ground control systems.
“The drones give us a completely new ability to monitor, respond and share information with our NATO partners,” said Col. Klaus Qvist, head of the air military division at the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation, per the Danish MoD statement.
“The security situation is constantly evolving, and it is therefore important that Europe can and wants to do more itself,” added Danish Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen. “This is a crucial step in that direction.”
In a supporting statement today, GA-ASI noted that SkyGuardian “provides pole-to-pole satellite control and de-icing capabilities to enable missions in the harsh conditions of the Arctic in support of Denmark and its NATO Allies.
“Additionally, MQ-9B’s in-house-developed Detect and Avoid System aids MQ-9B’s ability to fly in unsegregated airspace for domestic civilian operations, making it highly versatile for operations from Denmark.”
The acquisition traces back to Denmark’s 2021 Agreement on Arctic Capabilities [PDF] struck with the Faroe Islands and Greenland to strengthen surveillance capabilities across the region, but takes on new significance amid US President Donald Trump threatening to buy or take Greenland by force.
As shared by Copenhagen, the initial Arctic Capabilities decision to buy two long range drones was subsequently doubled under a more recent 10 year defense settlement plan.
“The drones will play a central role in Danish preparedness in the Arctic, the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea region,” notes the Tuesday statement. “With their long endurance and precise surveillance capabilities, they contribute to the real-time situational picture – in peacetime and during crisis management.”
The Danish order could soon be followed by Nordic counterpart Norway purchasing MQ-9B aircraft. As Breaking Defense reported in 2024, Oslo has already embarked on studies to examine how it would introduce a new, long-range, aerial maritime surveillance drone into its forces in the high north and has asked the US for information about suitable options. Northrop Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton is among competitor platforms on offer.
In Europe, the MQ-9B has been ordered by Belgium, Poland and the UK.
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Author: Tim Martin
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