MQ-9B無人機獲英國航安認證　台灣也列採購國家行列

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美國通用原子公司（General Atomics）宣布，為英國皇家空軍（RAF）打造的MQ-9B衍生型「衛士」RG Mk1無人機，已正式通過英國航空主管機關的軍用型號認證，將可進入民用空域飛行。
General Atomics has announced that the UK Royal Air Force’s MQ-9B variant, the “Protector” RG Mk1, has received military type certification from British aviation authorities, paving the way for routine operations in civilian airspace.

該項認證由英國軍事航空管理局（MAA）於今年4月29日核發，被視為大型無人機系統發展上的歷史性里程碑，突破傳統無人機只能限於軍事走廊運行的限制。
Issued on April 29 by the UK Military Aviation Authority, the certification marks a major breakthrough in UAV operations—enabling large drones to fly beyond restricted military corridors, even over densely populated areas.

軍聞網站《Breaking Defense》指出，此項「軍用型號認證」代表「衛士」無人機已滿足北約標準STANAG 4671的適航性要求，為無人機於北約成員國間通用鋪路。
According to Breaking Defense, the military type certification confirms the Protector drone’s compliance with NATO’s STANAG 4671 airworthiness standards, facilitating interoperability among allied nations.

通用原子航空系統公司執行長布魯（Linden Blue）表示，為達到該標準，通用原子在過去11年投入逾5億美元的研發資源，凸顯此目標的重要性。
General Atomics CEO Linden Blue revealed the company invested over $500 million USD over 11 years to meet NATO's stringent safety and performance benchmarks for the MQ-9B platform.

該公司強調，MQ-9B可在人口密集區域安全飛行，是打開歐洲與亞洲無人機軍民市場的關鍵；此項能力也是通用原子對外推廣的核心優勢。
The firm highlights the MQ-9B’s ability to safely operate over populated areas as a key selling point for expanding into European and Asian UAV markets.

目前包括英國、比利時、加拿大、波蘭、日本海上自衛隊、日本海上保安廳、印度與台灣均已列為MQ-9B採購國家。台灣未來將在偵察與戰略打擊能力上大幅提升。
MQ-9B buyers now include the UK, Belgium, Canada, Poland, Japan (both Navy and Coast Guard), India, and Taiwan—whose acquisition is expected to significantly enhance its ISR and long-range strike capabilities.