The story was first reported by SIC Notícias (source in Portuguese) and reveals that the National Aeronautical Authority has requested further technical information on the MQ-9 Reaper drones that were due to arrive at Lajes air base during the week. According to the Portuguese broadcaster, clarifications have been requested from the US embassy in Lisbon regarding the aircraft’s technical specifications, the licences of the pilots who will operate them and the area designated for ditching in case of an emergency.
Before heading to the Middle East, the drones are expected to arrive in the Azores in containers and then be assembled at the military base, SIC reports. Firefighters at Lajes are reported to have already received training on how to respond to any emergency involving these highly sophisticated aircraft.
These drones were expected at Lajes Air Base (source in Portuguese) at the start of the week, but now appear to be awaiting the requested clarifications.
The final decision rests with the Portuguese government, which has been under intense scrutiny since the increase in the US presence at the Portuguese military base and the visible build-up of resources there. In early March, Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said the government had given ‘conditional authorisation’ to the US to use Lajes.
Euronews sought clarification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defence about the situation. At the time of publication, no response had been received.
‘Killer drone’
The name leaves little room for doubt. The Reaper, christened as such by the US and UK air forces, could be translated into Portuguese as ‘Ceifador’ (as in the ‘Grim Reaper’, the popular personification of death in Western culture), underlining the drone’s offensive role.
These are weapons of war, designed to operate as reconnaissance aircraft while also being equipped with Hellfire missiles used to strike targets, making them key assets in an attack scenario.
The aircraft are manufactured by the US company General Atomics Aeronautical, which describes them (source in Portuguese) as a ‘major evolutionary leap in overall performance and reliability’.
The MQ-9 Reaper is 11 metres long with a wingspan of up to 24 metres, comparable to a small commercial airliner. According to the manufacturer, the MQ-9A has an endurance of more than 27 hours, can fly at altitudes of up to 15,240 metres and can carry 1,361 kilograms of external payload.
‘It provides a persistent, long-endurance surveillance and strike capability for the warfighter,’ the company says.
US loses several Reapers in war with Iran
Last week, a report in the Wall Street Journal (source in Portuguese) said more than ten of these unmanned aircraft had been lost during the current military campaign against Iran.
The US daily reported that the drones had been shot down by Iranian missiles or even destroyed ‘by mistake’ by a Gulf ally.
The claims were confirmed to ABC News by two official sources.
The US armed forces are the main buyer of this equipment, which can cost around 40 million dollars per unit.