The Belgian Air Component is putting the MQ-9B SkyGuardian into service at Florennes. Capabilities, schedule, armament, and civil integration: a breakdown of a new-generation RPAS.
Summary
Belgium is taking a major step forward with the commissioning of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian. The first aircraft was received on August 18, 2025, at Florennes, and the first flight in Belgium took place on September 23: the schedule is accelerating. Selected in 2020, the MQ-9B offers 40 hours of endurance, multi-sensor capability, and a STANAG 4671-compliant “certifiable” aeronautical standard, with Detect and Avoid for integration into civil airspace. The Belgian program includes four aircraft and two ground stations, with the stated ambition of expanding the fleet. Crews are training at the Waddington International Center alongside the British Protector RG1. Operationally, the aircraft promises persistent ISR over the territory, maritime approaches, and in allied operations. The issue of armament is progressing, with options being studied, while maintaining strict rules of engagement. This choice places Belgium among the European leaders in the use of latest-generation MALE RPAS.
The Belgian context and the commissioning schedule
The Air Component officially took delivery of the first MQ-9B at Florennes Air Base (province of Namur) on August 18, 2025. The aircraft made its first flight in Belgian airspace on September 23, a few weeks after its acceptance flights in California. The acquisition, notified via the US FMS procedure in 2019, covers four aircraft and two certifiable control stations, with associated weaponry, sensors, and support. Signed in 2020, the contract was planned to allow for operational ramp-up from 2026, with regular patrols over national territory and NATO deployments.
The MQ-9B system: a certifiable architecture
The MQ-9B SkyGuardian is a MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) RPAS designed to operate sustainably over areas of interest and integrate into controlled airspace. It stands out for its STANAG 4671 compliance, its lightning and ice-tolerant architecture, and its Detect and Avoid kit (TCAS/DAA and “due regard” radar), which allows transit over populated areas in accordance with authorizations. The aircraft has an endurance of 40 hours, an operational ceiling of 12,200 m (40,000 ft), a wingspan of 24 m, and a maximum external payload of 2,155 kg distributed over nine hardpoints. The “certifiable” ground station modernizes ergonomics: four consoles (pilot, sensors, intelligence, and mission commander) and hardened data links.
Payload: sensors and links for persistent ISR
The SkyGuardian carries a suite of high-definition electro-optical and infrared sensors, a synthetic aperture radar/ground moving target indicator (SAR/GMTI), and mission-specific pods (maritime, electronic warfare, communications relay). The combination of sensors and links enables real-time intelligence gathering, with full-motion video and georeferenced SAR products. Belgium is targeting domestic security support missions (infrastructure and environmental surveillance), maritime approach patrols, and coalition deployments (NATO ISR) where multi-sensor capability and persistent ISR make a difference.
The choice of Florennes: infrastructure and organization
The choice of Florennes is explained by the existing ecosystem, the experience of the 2nd Tactical Wing, and the availability of land to build the hangars, shelters, and antennas necessary for RPAS operations. At the inauguration, the Air Force reactivated the 2nd Squadron “La Comète”, disbanded in 2001, now dedicated to MQ-9B operations: a symbolic decision that anchors the RPAS sector for the long term. The work includes a dedicated taxiway area, electromagnetic protection, de-icing facilities, and access airlocks for the safety of ground-to-air connections.
European training and interoperability
The first Belgian crews underwent a mixed training program: manufacturer training in the United States, followed by tactical training at the MQ-9B International Center at RAF Waddington (Lincolnshire), alongside British Protector RG1 crews. This approach ensures the interoperability of procedures, data formats, and mission links. The benefit is twofold: rapid standardization of expertise and access to feedback from the British “certifiable MQ-9B,” a European pioneer in civil integration.
Performance in figures: endurance, altitude, payload
On surveillance missions, the MQ-9B can remain in the area for more than a day, with fuel optimization profiles that combine high altitude and tight racetracks above the area of interest. The ceiling of 12,200 m allows for extended SAR radar coverage, while the 24 m wingspan and winglets limit specific fuel consumption. The internal/external payload allows for the simultaneous carriage of optronics, radar, links, and, if necessary, specialized pods. The system is designed to withstand IMC conditions, with de-icing and lightning protection, which is essential for winter transits in Western Europe.
The question of armament: options and doctrine
By design, the MQ-9B is “weaponization-ready”: nine hardpoints, possible integration of guided missiles and laser/INS-guided bombs. Belgium has favored an ISR ramp-up, but the authorities have opened the door to precision weapons, studied in accordance with national and allied rules of engagement. Among the options discussed are precision air-to-ground effects with low collateral damage, compatible with the weapon libraries already in service. The doctrine will combine political control, rigorous targeting, and complete traceability of decisions.
Integration into civil airspace: a change of scale
The qualitative leap of the MQ-9B is as much due to its sensors as to its certifiability. The tests and certifications obtained on the MQ-9B family (including the British Protector) will eventually allow for more regular transits outside segregated areas, under the control of civil air traffic controllers. Detect and Avoid is at the heart of this integration, with conflict prevention algorithms, cooperative and non-cooperative perception, and a standardized human-machine interface. For Belgium, a densely populated country, this capability is essential for the daily use of the system without unduly impacting civil traffic.
Costs, fleet, and ramp-up
The 2019 US FMS notification estimated the initial package at approximately $600 million: four aircraft, two certifiable ground stations, sensors, training, and support. The contract signed in 2020 launched industrial work and infrastructure adaptations at Florennes. In the short term, the goal is to achieve sustained patrol capability (six days a week, 16 hours a day) with a fleet of four aircraft. Recent statements project a higher target format (six aircraft, three systems) once deliveries are complete and doctrine is stabilized.
Operational gains for Belgium and NATO
Faced with hybrid crises, sensitive maritime flows, and allied commitments, the advantages of a certifiable MALE are clear: extended coverage, permanence, interoperability, and controlled cost per flight hour compared to a fighter jet. In coalition, the MQ-9B provides standardized ISR products, communications relays, and target designation capabilities for other effectors. In national crisis management, it provides the persistent eye essential for interministerial coordination (civil security, environment, federal police), with a framework for use and data protection defined in advance.
Limitations and points to watch
The MQ-9B remains a subsonic turboprop aircraft: its survivability depends on careful planning, altitude, and safety distance from modern surface-to-air threats. The resilience of SATCOM links and the cybersecurity of mission chains are ongoing priorities. Belgium will also need to ensure that it has a qualified workforce over the long term: pilots, sensor operators, image analysts, and maintenance personnel. Finally, the possible weaponization of the system requires doctrinal clarity, strict rules of engagement, and precise public communication.
What this choice reveals
By adopting a certifiable new-generation RPAS, Belgium is investing in information superiority while equipping itself with an adaptable tool: ISR, maritime, relay, and potentially precision strike. The European ripple effect (sharing training with the United Kingdom, common standards) reduces risks and accelerates adoption. The deployment of the MQ-9B does not replace fighter jets; it redistributes roles and frees up flight hours where persistent ISR creates operational value. The challenge now is to consolidate the fleet, secure civil integration and, if the political decision is confirmed, master the use of weapons with the ethical standards expected of a European state.
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