Denmark has begun testing unmanned aerial vehicles in its own airspace ahead of receiving four MQ-9Bs in 2028.
On September 29, a German Heron TP drone flew along the coast of Jutland. The flight was part of Denmark’s preparations to deploy its own MQ-9Bs and was conducted in cooperation with the German Air Force.
The German Heron TP operated from a military airbase in Schleswig-Holstein. Its route through Danish airspace ran from the Danish-German border across eastern Jutland to Aalborg, after which the drone returned to the border via the western part of the peninsula.
Denmark is due to receive four General Atomics MQ-9B drones in 2028. They will be based at Aalborg Air Base as part of the new 729 Squadron and will be used, among other tasks, to patrol and monitor the airspace over Greenland and the North Atlantic.
The new 729 Squadron was established in February 2026. Until the MQ-9Bs arrive, Denmark is training pilots, technicians and other personnel needed to operate the drones.
