The remotely piloted aircraft, dubbed “Protector”, will be able to undergo land and maritime surveillance to track threats, counter terrorism, and support UK civil authorities, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

Equipped with a “suite” of surveillance equipment, and with the ability to fly for more than 30 hours and up to 40,000 feet, the MOD stated the aircraft offers a “critical global surveillance capability for the UK.”

Protector will accept the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) roles currently undertaken by the Reaper aircraft, which has been used by the RAF for more than 15 years.

The first phase of tests, beginning this week, involves ground testing of satellite links and taxi procedures, as well as take-off and landing trials.

While one Protector is currently present at RAF Waddington, the arrival of 15 other Protectors from General Atomics — the US-based defence company that designs and manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles and radar systems — will be phased. though all aircraft are expected to be delivered and in service by July 2025.

Air Commodore Alex Hicks, the senior responsible owner of the Protector programme, said that the arrival of the first aircraft is the “culmination of years of work by many personnel across the whole of the MOD.

“The ISR Capability Team will be working with 56 Sqn, our test and evaluation experts, will [sic] put the aircraft through its paces to ensure it is ready for operational service next year, whilst the newly reformed 31 Sqn will focus on preparing to operate the aircraft in service.

“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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James Cartlidge MP, the defence procurement minister, also commented: “The UK’s world-class Protector aircraft will emphasise our ultra-modern surveillance, intelligence, and precision strike capabilities, ensuring we are ready to monitor and protect against potential adversaries around the globe.

“With the first aircraft at RAF Waddington ready to begin trials, we will once again demonstrate how we are spearheading military defence technology.”

Relatedly, surveillance and security were topics that Daniel Cuthbert, a self-professed “creaky old hacker” delved into during his keynote at DIGIT’s Scot-Secure West summit last month.

For those who didn’t get the chance to attend Cuthbert’s talk, read our breakdown of his keynote here.