The United Kingdom’s RG Mk1 “Protector” drone is expected to enter service with the Royal Air Force by 2024. Britain announced an $83 million deal with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems in 2021. The deal will bring the first three Protector drones to the RAF fleet.
The world’s first certified medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle will support the RAF’s operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan. The drone’s advanced capabilities will aid Britain’s surveillance and strike missions. The Protector will significantly improve the RAF’s intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance capabilities, or ISTAR.
Extensive Testing
Britain’s armed forces have been flying U.S.-designed Reaper drones since 2004. These medium-range, long-endurance UAVs are also manufactured by General Atomics. The Protector program lessens Britain’s dependence on U.S.-made military equipment, and it brings Britain to the forefront of advanced UAV technology.
Beyond improving the RAF’s ISTAR capabilities, the Protector is also expected to support civilian missions such as search-and-rescue and disaster-response efforts. The advanced drone is capable of flying up to 40 hours continuously.
The drone has undergone extensive testing. According to the Director of the RAF’s ISTAR program, “GA-ASI has provided support, not only in the testing of the aircraft, but in developing this game-changing [UAV] platform. GA-ASI provided a company MQ-9B over this past summer and operated it from RAF bases in the U.K. to help us get acquainted with its operational capabilities ahead of the first delivery of Protector.”
Full-scale static strength, high-intensity radiated frequency, and environmental tests were performed. Combined, they verified the drone’s reliability, safety, operational loads, and weather adaptability.
Unprecedented Capabilities
The Protector drone will be fitted with a Brimstone missile system, elevating its ability to hit high-speed moving targets. Since there are seven weapons stations on the Protector, it can carry a total of 21 missiles at once. The Protector’s predecessor could only carry four Hellfire missiles. The addition of Paveway bomb systems also enhances the weapon by allowing it to avoid enemy aircraft using onboard sensors.
Advances in the Protector’s technology also remove the need to hire contracted crews and maintenance personnel. This is a huge improvement from the Reaper, which requires a lot of aid from ground-support crews.
The Protector’s payload and communications system are also unprecedented. The drone hosts nine hardpoints for rapid integration of multiple payloads. It is installed with a high-definition electro-optical infrared camera that provides exceptional reconnaissance capabilities, according to Airforce Technology. The drone’s advanced communications system allows the RAF to create a content delivery network to share critical data the UAV collects.
The United Kingdom’s Protector drone is General Atomics’ most advanced remote piloted aircraft system, or RPAS. Its advanced technology and enhanced capabilities make the American-made drone a novelty in the sky. The Protector becomes General Atomics’ first stealthy RPAS in operation, but such advanced drone technology will probably be more prevalent soon.
Maya Carlin is a Middle East Defense Editor with 1945. She is also an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel.
