Overview
- The NATO Support and Procurement Agency executed the deal under the MQ-9 Support Partnership, covering eight aircraft and four certifiable ground control stations with first deliveries in 2028.
- Naval Air Wing 3 “Graf Zeppelin” at Nordholz will run the program as personnel training and base infrastructure upgrades proceed ahead of entry into service.
- Berlin frames the drones as a persistent maritime ISR complement to P-8A Poseidons to help protect sea lanes and critical infrastructure in the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea.
- SeaGuardian features satellite control, de-icing for cold-weather operations, two multi‑mode surface‑search radars, an in‑house detect‑and‑avoid system for unsegregated airspace, and an optional anti‑submarine warfare loadout using sonobuoys.
- U.S. Navy–sponsored tests in December doubled the MQ-9B’s sonobuoy capacity and are expected to lead to deployment clearance for ASW operations this month, indicating a maturing capability relevant to future German use.