Belgium’s newly delivered MQ-9B SkyGuardian remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) is expected to achieve its first operational deployment in 2026. Belgian Defence is currently assessing two potential mission profiles for the platform, with initial operational employment likely to involve support to NATO’s Operation Sea Guardian.
Launched in 2016 to enhance maritime situational awareness and support maritime counter-terrorism efforts in the Mediterranean Sea, Operation Sea Guardian is set to become the first operational mission for Belgium’s MQ-9B. “This will be the first operational deployment of our MQ-9B, which will operate from Italy,” Lieutenant Colonel Kristoph Comhair, head of operations, told the National Defence Committee of the Belgian Parliament on 12 December.
The SkyGuardian deployment will be complemented by Belgium’s contribution to the NATO AWACS fleet, as well as the assignment of a staff officer to the mission headquarters at Northwood in the United Kingdom, Lieutenant Colonel Comhair added. While neither the size of the MQ-9B detachment nor the duration of the planned deployment has been disclosed, Belgium is seeking operational synergies with a comparable Europe-led mission, EUNAVFOR Aspides. Launched in early 2024, the operation focuses on maritime situational awareness and the escort and protection of commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
“If possible, we will also seek synergies by deploying our MQ-9B in support of Operation Sea Guardian, allowing us to make a meaningful contribution to EUNAVFOR Aspides as well,” Lieutenant Colonel Comhair explained. In addition to the SkyGuardian deployment and the assignment of personnel to the forward afloat headquarters, the Belgian Navy plans to deploy the frigate BNS Leopold I during the second half of 2026.
The Belgian Air Force received its first MQ-9B SkyGuardian aircraft (MS-01) in September. A second aircraft, MS-04, was scheduled for delivery in mid-November, completing the first of two systems ordered in 2019. Delivery of the second system was planned for December. The Belgian Air Force aims to achieve Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in the fourth quarter of 2026, with Full Operational Capability (FOC) expected in the third quarter of 2027.
While the SkyGuardian is not a dedicated SeaGuardian variant, the two platforms share virtually identical configurations. The Lynx radar carried by the aircraft already features modes specifically optimised for the maritime environment. Belgium’s Ministry of Defence also plans to further adapt the aircraft for maritime surveillance missions, an approach that is currently the subject of initial discussions with Belgian naval personnel.
The Belgian MoD foresees a 504 M€ global investment for continuous development of its SkyGuardian fleet in the military program law for 2026-2034 formally adopted on Friday. Apart from a third two-device system, the effort entails the delivery of new maritime sensors. Acoustic buoy launchers, for example, is one of the options being studied to participate in anti-submarine warfare and ultimately bring the configuration of the SkyGuardian closer to that of its naval counterpart, the SeaGuardian.