The UK’s new ‘Protector’ drone flying over RAF Waddington in Feb 2025. Credit: MoD 

The RAF announced that its new armed drone, called SkyGuardian by other users but dubbed ‘The Protector’ by the UK, has begun regular test and training flights in the UK. At the same time, the UK has exercised an option to extend the life of its current Reaper drone fleet which were supposed to transition our of service by early 2024.

The UK ordered up to 26 new ‘Protector’ drones in October 2015 to replace the UK’s current fleet of armed Reaper drones. The new drones were supposed to be in service by 2018 but long delays and cost overruns– estimated to be more than £500m – has dogged the programme. The MoD confirmed that four Protector drones have now been delivered to the UK.

Protector differs from its predecessor in that it can carry more weapons and fly further and for longer. However the UK argues that the main advantage of the new drone is that it was built to standards that allowed it to be flown in civil airspace alongside other aircraft.

Rather than be based overseas as the UK’s current fleet of armed drones are, the new drone will be based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire and deploy directly for overseas operations from there.

However, the technology that allows uncrewed aircraft to supposedly fly safely in the same airspace as other aircraft has not yet been proved and current Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rules means the drone must fly in segregated airspace, away from other aircraft.

Drone Wars has long argued that while the use of military armed drones has normalised, they continue to crash at a significant rate for a whole variety of reasons.

General Atomics advert portraying a Protector drone flying over London. 

Significantly, the new drone has been brought in with the understanding that it can also be used at times of crisis for operations within the UK under Military Aid to Civil Authorities (MACA) rules. It is perhaps likely then that at a time of crisis, the UK’s armed drone could be deployed operationally over the UK.

Since 2023, the MoD has refused to disclose details of UK Reaper flights even thought it has done so previously for more than a decade. It is likely that similar secrecy will surround Protector drone flights and sorties not only if they are deployed overseas but also if deployed within the UK.

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