Denmark tests giant drone ahead of Air Force fleet

Denmark has tested a large surveillance drone in airspace shared with civilian aircraft, DR reports, as the Air Force prepares to receive its own unmanned aircraft.

The German Luftwaffe drone was remotely piloted from Germany as it flew along the Danish coast and back. An aircraft from Aalborg Air Base accompanied it.

The test was the first time large unmanned aircraft had flown in Danish airspace in an area also used by civilian planes, said Brigadier General Hans Peter Andersen, deputy head of the Air Command. He described it as a trial run needed before Denmark receives its own aircraft.

The drone, an MQ-9B, is more than 10 metres long and has a wingspan comparable to that of a passenger aircraft. Denmark’s Air Force is due to receive the aircraft in 2028, for a new squadron based at Aalborg Air Base.

The aircraft can remain airborne for about 24 hours, making it suitable for long surveillance missions over places such as Greenland or the Baltic Sea, Andersen said. During the test, the pilot stayed in contact with air traffic control provider Naviair by satellite link.