Netherlands Reaper Sale

The State Department has cleared the sale of remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance aircraft to the Netherlands, according to a Feb. 6 Defense Security Cooperation Agency notice.

The Dutch government selected the General Atomics Reaper in 2013 and the Royal Netherlands Air Force is well advanced in its preparations to accept the aircraft into its inventory.

The notice states the deal is worth $339 million for four Block 5 aircraft and four mobile ground control stations. The notice does not indicate whether the aircraft will be armed or used for surveillance purposes only, but there are no munitions sales attached to the purchase.

"This potential sale will enhance the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability of the Dutch military in support of national, NATO, U.N.-mandated, and other coalition operations," the document states. "Commonality of ISR capabilities will greatly increase interoperability between U.S and Dutch military and peacekeeping forces."

The MQ-9 package includes six Honeywell turboprop engines and six multispectral targeting systems, according to DSCA.

The Netherlands is a signatory to the Missile Technology Control Regime, which places certain restrictions on the export of unmanned aircraft of the Reaper's size and rage.

The Reaper sale is the fourth to a European nation, according to the MQ-9 program's latest selected acquisition report. The United Kingdom purchased 11 MQ-9s from 2007-2011. Italy has six and France has two.