GA-ASI hosted a roll-out event for the Royal Netherlands Air Force to commemorate the completion of their first MQ-9A Block 5 Remotely Piloted Aircraft. Credit: General Atomics.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has produced the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s (RNLAF) first MQ-9A Block 5 remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) and ground control station (GCS).

The event was commemorated with a special launching ceremony hosted by GA-ASI at its corporate headquarters in Poway, California, US.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

The RPA will undergo acceptance testing early next year at the company’s Gray Butte Flight Operations facility near Palmdale, California.

Upon the completion of this testing, the aircraft will be delivered to the RNLAF.

The total foreign military sales (FMS) agreement, which Netherlands and GA-ASI signed in 2018, includes four MQ-9A Block 5 and four mobile GCSs, along with related support equipment.

The MQ-9 RPA is a medium-sized aircraft that has an operational ceiling of 50,000ft, a maximum internal payload of 800lb and an external payload exceeding 3,000lb.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

The Block 5 configuration of the RPA includes a ‘significantly increased electrical power capability’ and enhanced landing gear.

With an endurance of more than 27 hours, the Block 5 configuration will also include the GA-ASI Lynx multi-mode radar and Raytheon electro-optical sensors.

The MQ-9A Block 5 is fitted with a fault-tolerant flight control system and triple-redundant avionics system architecture. It is designed to exceed ‘manned aircraft reliability’ standards.

GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue said: “We are proud to begin this new relationship with the Royal Netherlands Air Force.

“With millions of hours of proven performance under its wings, the MQ-9 is ideally suited to support their nation’s ISR needs.

“The Netherlands now joins the UK, Italy, France and Spain as Nato countries operating our advanced RPAs, with Belgium coming online in the next few years.”

In May, GA-ASI was contracted by the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) for an MQ-9 RPA fleet mid-life update.

Airforce Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Airforce Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.


Excellence in Action
Discover how Virtualitics is transforming mission readiness with explainable AI, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision intelligence across the U.S. Department of Defense through its AI-powered Integrated Readiness Optimization suite, for which it has won the Innovation and Business Expansion awards.

Discover the Impact