The United States plans to sell 4 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles and other related equipment worth almost $340 million dollars to the Netherlands, US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a press release.
The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Netherlands for MQ-9 Reapers and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $339 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
The Government of the Netherlands has requested a possible sale of:
4 MQ-9 Block 5 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft
4 Mobile Ground Control Stations Block 30 (option Block 50)
6 Honeywell TPE331-10T Turboprop Engines (4 installed and 2 spares)
2 SATCOM Earth Terminal Sub-System
6 AN/DAS-1 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems (MTS)-B
4 General Atomics Lynx (exportable) Synthetic Aperture Radar/Ground Moving
Target Indicator (SAR/GMTI) Systems, w/Maritime Wide Area Search capability
2 Ruggedized Aircraft Maintenance Test Stations
20 ARC-210 RT-1939 Radio Systems
8 KY-1006 Common Crypto Modules
8 Ku-band Link-Airborne Communications Systems
4 KIV-77 Mode 4/5 Identification Friend or Foe
4 AN/APX-119 Mode 4/5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Transponder (515 Model)
14 Honeywell H-764 Adaptive Configurable Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Guidance Units (EGI) with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) (12 installed and 2 spares)
Also provided are an Initial Spares Package (ISP) and Readiness Spares Package (RSP) to support 3400 Flight Hours for a three (3) year period, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated cost is $339 million.
The Netherlands is one of the major political and economic powers in Europe and NATO and an ally of the United States in the pursuit of peace and stability. It is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist the Netherlands to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This potential sale will enhance the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability of the Dutch military in support of national, NATO, UN-mandated, and other coalition operations. Commonality of ISR capabilities will greatly increase interoperability between U.S and Dutch military and peacekeeping forces.
The Netherlands requests this capability to provide for the defense of its deployed troops, regional security, and interoperability with the U.S. The proposed sale will improve the Netherland’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing improved ISR coverage that promotes increased battlefield situational awareness, anticipates enemy intent, augments combat search and rescue, and provides ground troop support. The Netherlands will have no difficulty absorbing this additional capability into its armed forces.
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
The principal contractor will be General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. in San Diego, California. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.
Implementation of this proposed sale may require U.S. contractor representatives to make multiple trips to the Netherlands and potentially to deployed locations to provide initial launch, recovery, and maintenance support.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.
This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.
Source: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency