Image source: topwar.ru
The British Air Force has completed flight tests of the MQ-9B Protector RG1 drone, which will later replace the MQ-9A Reaper currently in service. At the same time, the operator controlled the aircraft remotely at the Waddington base in Lincolnshire on the east coast of England.
This was reported in the press service of the Royal Air Force.
- said the commander of the 56th squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Podmore.
As part of the program, Britain plans to replace its MQ-9A Reaper drones with a fleet of 16 MQ-9B Protector drones. Thus, the British military will have a "Defender" instead of a "Reaper".
The recent flight of such a drone was the third and final stage of flight tests before the commissioning of these devices by the British Air Force. The first tests of the Defender took place in 2023 here, at the Waddington base.
Image source: topwar.ru
Such a drone is capable of continuously staying in the air for more than 30 hours. It can perform a variety of tasks, from air support for ground units to disaster relief. Once operational, the drone is expected to play a key role in UK military operations, participating in intelligence gathering, surveillance, target detection, and strikes.
