Milan: Denmark has purchased four US-made long-range maritime drones from General Atomics, a step meant to boost the country’s surveillance capabilities in the Arctic region.
The Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation signed an agreement with NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency, or NSPA, to acquire four MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, the government agency announced on July 22.
The systems are expected to be delivered between 2028 and 2029 and will undergo a certification process to be able to fly in national and international airspace. Although no contract value was disclosed, DALO listed three specific areas of interest where the drones could operate: the Arctic, the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea region.
The Arctic has become increasingly important for NATO’s defence posture, especially in light of growing Russian presence and activities in the region. For example, Russian ice-class LNG tanker Alexey Kosygin, sanctioned by the United States, is expected to become operational in the second half of this year at the country’s Arctic LNG 2 plant, as reported by Reuters.
Having eyes in the sky is a priority for Arctic states, but acquiring drones that can operate in such a harsh environment can be challenging. The extreme cold impacts battery life, sensor performance and GPS signal quality.
According to a General Atomics spokesman, the MQ-9B drones are ready to operate in cold temperatures. “The MQ-9B is perfect for the Arctic Security mission and has been designed, tested and certified for operations in extremely cold climates – it routinely flies at very high altitudes [maximum above 40,000 feet] where outside air is usually between -40 and -70 Fahrenheit (-40 and -56,6 Celsius),” spokesman C. Mark Brinkley said.
In its announcement, DALO highlighted that the drone purchase is being conducted in close cooperation with other allied NATO nations to ensure access to common knowledge. Neighbouring Norway has also shown interest in acquiring the MQ-9B, as part of its quest to get long-range maritime drones. North Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton is also in the running there.
