Eagle (IAI) B-Hunter UAV (276) from the Belgian Air Component at the Belgian Air Force Days 2014, Kleine-Brogel (Belgium)
In December 1998 the Council of Ministers approved the acquisition of three B-Hunter UAV-systems, each consisting of 6 aircraft and
two ground control stations. The three systems were build by the Eagle consortium (Sonaca, Thales and IAI/Malat) and are used for aerial surveillance & reconnaissance missions in operations (Tuzla, Federal Republic of Congo) as well as for nation support (environmental support and industrial disasters). For the environmental support missions the B-Hunters are often deployed to Koksijde airbase. These sophisticated Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) replace the first generation MBLE "Epervier" drones which were struck of charge at the end of September 1999. All aircraft are operational with the 80 UAV Squadron at first based at Elsenborn in the Eastern part of Belgium but in 2010 transferred to Florenns airbase.