Protector training hub launched at RAF Waddington after drone enters service

The Royal Air Force has opened the Protector RG Mk1 flight and training area at RAF Waddington in a ceremony hosted by Air Officer Commanding 1 Group.

The building, which houses ground control stations, simulators, and training areas for Protector, and part of the Nato Flight Training Europe (NFTE) Campus, was dedicated to Group Captain Bobby Oxspring, who was the first to lead a flight of RAF jet aircraft across the Atlantic in 1949.

The facilities also include live and synthetic training areas and training areas for the first remotely piloted aircraft capable of flying in UK airspace.

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The training centre opening comes after the RAF revealed that Protector has entered service.

"This building has only been made possible through the tenacity and dedication of a team comprising RAF personnel, civil servants and vendors who have worked together to develop this site into the world-class facility you see today," Air Vice-Marshal Mark Jackson, Air Officer Commanding 1 Group, said.

54 Squadron, the Advanced Air ISTAR Academy, operates the building, and they deliver more than 30 multi-skilled courses for the RAF ISTAR – Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance – current and future platforms and managed training for Protector at the Oxspring Building.

The training site also has elements of NFTE. The NFTE makes sure the alliance can train aircrews to meet any possible threats.

"The opening of this NFTE training facility is a testament to what Nato nations can achieve when they come together with a shared purpose," Allan McLeod, Director of NSPA Life Cycle Management, said.  

"By integrating world-class capabilities like Protector into the NFTE framework, we are enabling the future of multinational aircrew training, while increasing availability and readiness across the alliance."

The Protector drone will specialise in intelligence gathering, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance, as well as strike operations.

It can be deployed around the world with minimal on-site support, meaning it can be used for several missions.

The air vehicle is remotely piloted from RAF Waddington and can operate at heights up to 40,000ft. It can also fly for more than 30 hours.

There will be further testing completed during the summer before the scheduled transition from the Reaper to Protector later in 2025.