Overview
- The order includes four certifiable ground control stations procured under the NATO Support and Procurement Agency’s MQ-9 Support Partnership framework.
- Germany’s SeaGuardian fleet is slated to operate from Nordholz with Marinefliegergeschwader 3 “Graf Zeppelin,” with training and infrastructure upgrades planned.
- The platform offers long endurance with pole-to-pole satellite control, de-icing for cold-weather missions, multi-mode maritime radars, and an optional anti-submarine warfare package.
- The MQ-9B holds a 2025 UK Military Type Certificate permitting routine operations in unsegregated airspace, supporting domestic and European missions.
- Funding was approved by the Bundestag’s budget committee in December as part of a broader €50 billion defense modernization package, with the drones intended to complement Germany’s P-8A fleet.