The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force (RAF) now has two Protector RG Mk1 Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) operating at RAF Waddington. The first flight of the second Protector is expected in August, with the aircraft’s ground trial already on.
Protector is based on the MQ-9B SkyGuardian RPA developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), which is showcasing its capabilities at the ongoing Show. The RPA is and is specially configured for the RAF. The RAF has taken delivery of 10 of their total order of 16 Protectors , with eight aircraft currently undergoing RAF crew training, test, and evaluation in the United States.
“We’re thrilled to see a second Protector operating at Waddington,” said Chris Dusseault, GA-ASI’s vice president of MQ-9B in Europe. “The Royal Air Force is a great partner for GA-ASI, and we look forward to additional MQ-9B aircraft operating in the U.K. and more broadly across Europe.”
Meanwhile, the first of four cadres of RAF aircrew recently ccompleted training at GA-ASI’s Flight Test and Training Center (FTTC) in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The GA-ASI training involved RAF Operational Conversion Units (OCUs), which are comprised of eight crews, including pilots, sensor operators (SOs), and mission intelligence coordinators (MICs) from 31, 54, or 56 Squadrons. The training provides the foundational skills required to operate the Protector air vehicle and its equipment, including the Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Mission Intelligence Station (MIS), and System for Tasking and Real-Time Exploitation (STARE).
MQ-9B delivers exceptionally long endurance and range, with auto takeoff and landing under SATCOM-only control, and will be able to operate in unsegregated airspace using the company-developed Detect and Avoid system. In addition to the RAF, contracts have been signed with Belgium, Canada, Taiwan and the U.S. Air Force in support of the Special Operations Command. The Japan Coast Guard is currently operating the MQ-9B for maritime operations, which the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) also selected for its Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Trial Operation Project. MQ-9B has additionally supported various U.S. Navy exercises, including Northern Edge, Integrated Battle Problem, and Group Sail.
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