The Royal Air Drive has begun assurance testing and operational coaching for its MQ-9B Protector RG1 UAVs forward of the brand new plane changing its MQ-9A Reaper predecessor on operational sorties.
In a publish on social media, the Royal Air Drive (RAF) confirmed that preparations are underway to permit the Protector RG1 – the UK designation for the MQ-9B SkyGuardian – to undertake its first frontline missions. The kind made its maiden UK flight in 2023, then started a sustained collection of flight testing in early 2025 which culminated within the plane receiving a army kind certificates from the UK Navy Aviation Authority, permitting flights exterior of specifically segregated airspace.
This new part of trials will confirm the plane kind’s skill to reliably carry out all required operational duties, and be sure that operators have been educated to a adequate stage of proficiency. Whereas the supply of full working functionality earlier than the newest supposed sunset date for the MQ-9A Reaper appears optimistic, the prospect of frontline MQ-9B operations is now very a lot inside attain. The newest said withdrawal date for Reaper was ‘later in 2025’ with indications from sustainment contracts suggesting a date of Sept. 30.
If Protector does certainly change Reaper by the top of the 12 months, this could remarkably peg the undertaking just one 12 months behind projections made in 2019. The brand new drone was formally commissioned into RAF service in June 2025.
The 🇬🇧 have formally welcomed the Protector RG Mk1, a next-generation Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS), into service
NATO continues to enhance power readiness, modernise command and management & strengthen built-in air and missile defence #NATOSummit
📷Royal Air Drive pic.twitter.com/V15tKYvkLd
— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) June 25, 2025
The RAF says that the Protector might be changing the Reaper on Operation Shader, which is the UK’s army intervention towards Daesh (also called ISIS, ISIL, or Islamic State) in Iraq, Syria, and the broader Center East. RAF MQ-9 Reapers have been deployed for Shader completely for the reason that operation commenced in 2014, flying enormous numbers of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) sorties in addition to taking direct interventions with Hellfire missiles and GBU-12 Paveway guided bombs. The newest publicly introduced airstrike involving the Reaper throughout Operation Shader was in February 2025, when a Hellfire missile was used to focus on a recognized Daesh militant.
Airstrikes undertaken as a part of Operation Shader have slowed dramatically in recent times with the overall collapse of Daesh. The group misplaced just about all of its territory in Iraq and Syria and at the moment are largely decreased to working in small clusters of militants. Whereas the variety of strikeable targets has decreased, persistent ISR continues to be utilised all through the area to guard towards additional assault and monitor the group’s ongoing operations.
Operation Shader
In September 2024, the UK introduced that Operation Shader was as a result of be wrapped up over the next 12 months, reflecting the vastly modified nature of the state of affairs on the bottom. Provided that this deadline has now handed, it could appear with this announcement that the operation has been granted a reprieve. It was doubtless that no matter Operation Shader’s standing the ahead deployed Typhoons and related plane at RAF Akrotiri would stay in place to guard UK pursuits within the space amid regional turmoil. The Typhoons have additionally often been utilised to offer escorts to RAF ISR plane over the Black Sea, monitoring the Russia-Ukraine battle.
The situation of the UK’s deployed MQ-9 Reapers within the Center East has by no means been formally disclosed, however it’s publicly believed that they primarily function from Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait – geolocation utilizing publicly out there imagery has confirmed their presence on the station. All flying of the plane exterior of take-off and touchdown is managed by operators at RAF Waddington again within the UK. A detachment of RAF personnel additionally beforehand operated drones utilizing floor management stations (GCS) at Creech Air Drive Base, Nevada, alongside U.S. Air Drive Reaper crews, however this association resulted in 2022 with the disbandment of 39 Squadron.
RAF MQ-9 Reaper drone at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait pic.twitter.com/RVq7FepmSn
— Samir (@obretix) Could 6, 2023
Protector RG1s will doubtless fly from the identical ahead working base, although notably in contrast to the Reaper they can even be capable to fly inside UK airspace and from Waddington straight. With out the army kind certificates which permits the Protector to function in civilian airspace, the Reaper has by no means been in a position to function from UK soil. UK-based Protectors, if not required for operations abroad, might lend help in varied army and civilian taskings, together with maritime surveillance and search and rescue, and moreover participate in coaching workouts which have beforehand necessitated the usage of manned surrogate plane.
16 Protector RG1s have been ordered for the RAF, with not less than 10 plane having been delivered to RAF Waddington. The Royal Navy is reportedly contemplating a variant of the plane for its airborne early warning requirement, changing the Merlin HM2 ‘Crowsnest’. This could doubtless be within the type of the MQ-9B STOL, which has already been examined on board the UK’s Queen Elizabeth class plane carriers. Along with the UK, the MQ-9B has additionally been ordered in Europe by Denmark, Belgium, and Poland.
