WILLEMSTAD - The Royal Netherlands Air Force will receive the MQ-9 Reaper in February. These are four ground stations and four unmanned reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft can collect data and information from the air.
The Reaper contains sensors that can provide long-term observation and information, both on land and above sea, without a pilot on board. Thanks to the control by satellite, the device can be operated worldwide. The unarmed system is provisionally used in Curaçao. They do this because of the favorable weather conditions and the availability of airspace. The Reaper can also be deployed in the Caribbean for Defense tasks. This is partly done in collaboration with the United States.
The aircraft and two ground stations will be stationed at Hato Airport. The other two ground stations are located at Leeuwarden Air Base. The images from the Caribbean are also analyzed here. The ultimate home base of the MQ-9 will be Leeuwarden.