US EditionGermany Expands Naval-Surveillance Push with Eight SeaGuardian Drones
The €1.52 billion deal will provide Germany with four MQ-9B SeaGuardian systems to enhance maritime surveillance and counter Russian underwater threats, starting deliveries in 2028.
- On Dec. 17 Germany ordered eight MQ-9B SeaGuardian aircraft in a 1.52 billion contract approved by the parliamentary budget committee, executed through NATO Support and Procurement Agency.
- Amid heightened Russian underwater activity, the German government intensified maritime surveillance across the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic, reflecting a broader shift in recent years toward counter-submarine capabilities.
- Capable of over 30 hours endurance, the MQ-9B SeaGuardian has a 1,200 nautical mile mission radius and can deploy up to 40 A-size or 80 G-size sonobuoys with its Detect-and-Avoid system.
- First deliveries are expected in 2028, with Germany's Marineflieger planning to operate the platforms from Naval Air Wing 3 Graf Zeppelin in Nordholz, complementing its fleet of eight P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
- Poland will soon join other operators, having signed a $310 million SkyGuardian contract, while Patrick Schnieder, German Transport Minister, highlighted interoperability and lessons from British and Belgian operators in Baltic Sea cooperation.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Germany expands naval-surveillance push with eight SeaGuardian drones
BERLIN — Germany has ordered eight MQ-9B SeaGuardian remotely piloted aircraft from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems in a €1.52 billion ($1.77 billion) contract executed through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency.The procurement, approved by the parliamentary budget committee on Dec. 17 and announced on Monday, includes four complete systems − each comprising two aircraft − along with four “certifiable” ground control stations that will…
Germany to acquire MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones
Germany has agreed to procure eight MQ-9B SeaGuardian remotely piloted aircraft through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, expanding the alliance’s growing fleet of long-endurance unmanned systems. The acquisition, announced on 12 January, covers eight aircraft and four certifiable ground control stations, with first deliveries expected in 2028. The programme is being executed by NSPA on behalf of Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equ…
The Navy buys eight large US drones for sea reconnaissance and submarine hunting for 1.9 billion euros. They complement eight drones of the same size of the air force in Jagel. Both systems are also allowed to fly inside. The German SeaGuardian is controlled by satellite from Lower Saxony and can operate in all climate zones. – All rights reserved General AtomicsThe German Navy has ordered eight crewless flight systems of the type MQ-9B from the…
Germany orders eight MQ-9B drones for naval surveillance
Germany has ordered eight MQ-9B SeaGuardian remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, adding a long-endurance unmanned layer to its future maritime patrol posture. The Bundeswehr confirmed the purchase on January 12, 2026. The order includes four ground control stations and will be executed through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). First systems are expected to enter service from 2028. Th…
On December 18, the Budget Committee of the lower house of the German Parliament [Bundestag] approved funding for thirty arms projects totaling 50 billion euros. While most of the approved purchases were expected, the acquisition of American MQ-9B SeaGuardian MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) drones was a notable development. This article, "Germany Orders Eight American MQ-9B SeaGuardian MALE Drones," first appeared on Zone Militaire.
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