The Royal Air Force has taken delivery of the first of more than a dozen General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) Protector RG Mk1 remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) combat drones.
The long-endurance uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), which is based on GA-ASI’s MQ-9B UAV variant, is expected to enter into service next year, bringing with it “a step change” in service capability, according to the RAF. The UAV can be flown anywhere in the world while operated from RAF Waddington in England.
The Protector boasts a wingspan of nearly 80 feet, a maximum takeoff weight of 12,500 pounds, and is capable of carrying 500 pounds of Paveway IV laser-guided bombs and Brimstone 3 missiles.
“Equipped with a suite of advanced equipment and precision strike weapons, Protector will provide critical armed surveillance capability and will be able to deploy against potential adversaries around the globe,” the RAF said. “The aircraft will also be able to fly in busy unsegregated airspace thanks to ‘detect and avoid’ technology with a potential endurance of over 40 hours.”
Earlier this year, the first wave of RAF pilots, sensor operators, and mission intelligence coordinators began training on Protector operations at GA-ASI’s Flight Test & Training Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Last month, RAF instructors began training with RAF-specific material and mission scenarios at the facility.
The Protector drone is the successor to the Reaper MQ-9A variant of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, which is also deployed by the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command.
Sovereign Capabilities
Unlike the largely U.S.-controlled MQ-9A Reaper variant the RAF deployed more than a decade ago as an urgent operational requirement in Afghanistan, the planned purchase of 16 MQ-9B Protector drones will include sovereign capabilities fully owned by the U.K., Janes reported.Â
Earlier this year, the U.K. signed an international cooperation program agreement with Belgium, which has also purchased a MQ-9B variant in an arrangement that allows the two countries to work together on issues including certification, airworthiness, and training.
“This agreement further cements the close relationship between the U.K. and Belgium and affirms our joint commitment to the strategic unity and defense of Europe and NATO,” Air Commodore Alex Hicks, assistant chief of staff for RAF Capability Delivery Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.
