Instructors from the Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) 54 Squadron are currently undertaking the first Instructor Operating Course (IOC) on Protector RG Mk 1 uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) simulators at the Flight Test & Training Center (FTTC) of manufacturer General Atomics – Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the RAF reported on 28 August 2023.
IOC crews, comprising pilots, sensor operators (SOs) and mission intelligence controllers (MICs), have been undertaking various scenarios through the simulators under the tuition of GA-ASI instructors. According to the GA-ASI website, the training was initiated on 1 May 2023.
Simulated missions include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sorties to find, fix and follow designated targets on the ground, with the pilot maintaining an optimum position in the air while the SO and MIC work together to maintain target tracking.
The objective of this IOC is to create RAF-specific training material and mission scenarios for future Protector crews. Training evaluates the skills required to operate the Protector and its systems, including real-time exploitation of intelligence involving the Protector’s multi-spectral targeting system and synthetic aperture radar.
According to GA-ASI, training for the pilots and SOs is scheduled to run for 12 weeks, while MICs are to be trained for six weeks.
“Equipped with a suite of advanced equipment and precision strike weapons, the Protector UAV will provide critical armed surveillance capability and will be able to deploy against potential adversaries around the globe,” the RAF noted in a press release. “The aircraft will also be able to fly in busy unsegregated airspace thanks to ‘detect and avoid’ technology.”
Protector RG Mk 1 is the RAF designation for the GA-ASI MQ-9B SkyGuardian, which is the successor to the company’s MQ-9A Reaper armed UAV. The Protector, which is 11.43 m long with a wingspan of 24 m, has an endurance of 40 hours, a maximum airspeed of 210 KTAS, a maximum altitude of 40,000 ft, and a payload of up to 2,177 kg consisting of MBDA Brimstone missiles and/or Raytheon Paveway IV laser-guided bombs.
Sixteen Protectors have been ordered for the RAF, the first of which made its maiden flight in September 2020. The type is due to enter service in 2024, with the first eight aircraft slated to achieve an initial operating capability in late 2024.
54 Squadron is based at RAF Waddington: hub of the RAF’s intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance fleet. The Lincolnshire base will be the home of the RAF’s Protector force and is intended to host an international training centre for the MQ-9B.
Peter Felstead
