First drone of new fleet arrives at RAF base
The drone is capable of operating at heights of up to 40,000 ft (12,190m) and can fly for 30 hours
At a glance
The first drone in a new fleet of 16 aircraft has arrived at a Lincolnshire air base
It will undergo testing at RAF Waddington before going into service in 2024
The aircraft has a range of surveillance equipment on board
Pilots at the air base will control the drone remotely
- Published
The first of a new fleet of 16 surveillance drones has arrived at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.
The aircraft, named the Protector, flies without a pilot on board and can reach heights of 40,000ft (12,190m).
It would undergo ground and air testing before it went into service in 2024, the RAF said.
Air Cdre Alex Hicks said: "This is an important milestone for the programme, Air Force and wider defence and I am delighted to see Protector at RAF Waddington."
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Pilots at the RAF base would remotely control the drones, which can fly for more than 30 hours at a time, according to the RAF.
The aircraft would be "ready to deploy against potential adversaries around the globe", Minister for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge said.
"We will once again demonstrate we are spearheading military defence technology," he added.
The first phase of testing would see the drone fly a circuit above RAF Waddington as well as practising the use of satellite links, the Air Force said.
A further 15 of the pilotless aircraft would be delivered to the base as part of a phased introduction, it added.
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- Published9 September 2021
