Protector: RAF's newest drone fleet continues to grow with trials stepping up the pace
The UK's Protector surveillance drone fleet continues to grow with a second completing its build and initial testing.
By the end of the year, the Royal Air Force, working with Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), expects five more aircraft to be delivered.
Protector prepares to establish aircrew and technician training in the UK this year and take over operations from Reaper (MQ-9A) in 2025.
The first of 16 Protector aircraft arrived at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire in September 2023.
In November, the RAF's newest aircraft took its first flight in the UK over the RAF base.
The RAF said this marked an "important milestone in the delivery of the surveillance, intelligence, and precision strike aircraft to the frontline".
Engineers from 31 Squadron have completed the build and initial testing of this second aircraft, before further test and evaluation, led by 56 Squadron, over the coming months.
The delivery of this aircraft completes a busy period for the programme, following the initial flight testing in November last year.
In April, the first Protector crews graduated from the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) with training transitioning to the UK later this year utilising the first phase of infrastructure work recently completed at RAF Waddington.
Personnel from 54 Squadron, the Advanced Air Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) Academy, took part in the first Instructor Operating Course on Protector simulators at General Atomics (GA) based at Grand Forks, North Dakota, in August 2023.
The crew, comprising a pilot, sensor operator, and mission intelligence coordinator (MIC) on the future Operational Conversion Course (OCU), have been testing various scenarios, under the tuition of GA instructors.
Commented on the latest delivery, Simon Holford, Uncrewed Air Systems Delivery Team Leader at DE&S, says it "is yet another measure of the significant progress on this project and testament to the hard work of everyone involved".
Officer Commanding 31 Sqn, Wing Commander Maccoll said he was "delighted" to see another RAF Protector assembled at RAF Waddington.
He thanked the "hard work" of the programme team, defence partners, contractors, and the "skill" of 31 Squadron personnel.
"This summer, Protector will undertake further tests and evaluation and we expect more aircraft arrivals before the end of the year," he added.
Protector details
Equipped with a suite of advanced equipment and precision strike weapons, Protector will look to provide critical armed surveillance capability and will be able to deploy against potential adversaries around the globe.
The aircraft will also be able to fly in busy unsegregated airspace, thanks to 'detect and avoid' technology, with a potential endurance of over 30 hours.
They are capable of operating across the world with a minimal deployed footprint and remotely piloted from RAF Waddington, and can operate at heights up to 40,000ft with an endurance of more than 30 hours.
Protector is the largest and most advanced remotely piloted aircraft flown in UK airspace.
It will be certified to stringent Nato safety and certification standards, which will allow it to operate in the UK and European civilian airspace.
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