UK begins Protector crew training

With deliveries to the UK set to begin later in 2023, the RAF has begun US-based crew training at the GA-ASI Flight Test and Training Center (FTTC) in Grand Forks, North Dakota. (Crown Copyright)

The United Kingdom has begun flight crew training on the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9B Protector RG1 medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The first cohort of Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots, sensor operators (SOs), and mission intelligence co-ordinators (MICs) have begun training on the type at GA-ASI’s Flight Test and Training Center (FTTC) in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

“The scope of the training is focused on foundational skills required to operate the Protector air vehicle and its equipment, including the multispectral targeting system (MTS), synthetic aperture radar (SAR), mission intelligence station (MIS), and System for Tasking and Real-Time Exploitation (STARE),” GA-ASI said on 4 May. “Training involves building solid foundations for both normal and emergency operations in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, instrument flying, and automatic take-off and landing capability (ATLC).”