Belgian Air Force MQ9B Skyguardian

Project summary

As part of a radical upgrade to the Belgian Air Force’s UAV (Unmanned Arial Vehicle) capabilities, and following the retirement of their existing B Hunter drones, the ministry of defence embarked upon a detailed six-month design and build infrastructure competition to accommodate the next generation vehicles. The procurement process saw consortia vie for the construction and operation of a new squadron builing, maintenance hangar and apron to accommodate the MQ9B SkyGuardian drone. A sibling of the US Reaper and UK Protector models, the parent system has seen combat deployment in theatres around the globe including Afghanistan and Norh Africa. The Sky Guardian will enable NATO member Belgium to integrate with fifth generation weapon systems such as the F-35 and the Protector RG4 of the UK’s RAF for which both nations have signed a collaborative training agreement

Scope of services

Our remit to our architectural client included providing specialist design input of the typical look and feel of similar faciltites located in the United States (and forward operating bases around the globe), and the operational constraints of working in a live military airfield. We also provided airfield engineering advice relevant to pavement design and the installation of aeronautical ground lighting systems.

Included in our scope was the presentation of these specialist designs to the Belgian ministry of defence during the tender evaluation process. By providing our client with detailed research material and value engineering solutions throughout the tender process, we were able to leverage our existing knowledge of similar faciltites elsewhere and constribute to the winnning tender.

Benefit to the contractor

By combining our unique knowledge of aviation technology with a detailed understanding of the multidisciplinary nature of these defence projects, we supported our client from concept design through to tender submission. With the bilingual nature of Belgian procurement, we stayed up to date with all releases of the French documentation – a language we are comfortable working in. Additionally, our more than ten years' experience in design and build projects in both civil and military contexts allowed us to contribute to a value engineered winning tender submission.