Britain is bringing forward plans to give the RAF’s Protector drone a maritime capability, with a review of the programme now under way and revised milestones expected by December 2026.
Defence Minister Luke Pollard disclosed the move in response to a written parliamentary question from Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty, who asked what progress had been made towards integrating Protector with P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and Type 26 frigates.
Pollard said: “The Defence Investment Plan directed Maritime capabilities for the PROTECTOR RG Mk1 be brought forward, and a review of PROTECTOR is therefore currently underway. Rebaselined milestones are expected by December 2026, with a Review Note to follow.”
He added: “In the interim the Capability Sponsor, Cyber and Specialist Operations Command, is progressing capability development activity.”
The 2025 Strategic Defence Review recommended exploring a maritime surveillance capability for Protector, integrated with the RAF’s P-8 Poseidon fleet and the Royal Navy’s new Type 26 anti-submarine warfare frigates.
The review said Protector should be enhanced with maritime surveillance equipment and improved connectivity to give the long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft wider utility. It also placed Protector within the planned evolution of Britain’s anti-submarine warfare force under Atlantic Bastion, envisaging underwater, surface and airborne drones operating alongside Type 26 frigates, P-8 maritime patrol aircraft and nuclear-powered attack submarines.
The concept would use Protector’s endurance to provide persistent surveillance over large maritime areas while connecting its sensor picture with crewed aircraft and warships. The aircraft can remain airborne for more than 30 hours, providing a potentially useful means of maintaining coverage without continuously committing a P-8 to the same task.
The concept is not entirely new to British forces, of course. In 2021, a maritime-configured MQ-9B SeaGuardian, the maritime variant of the aircraft family on which Protector is based, took part in a series of demonstrations in the UK.
During Exercise Joint Warrior, SeaGuardian operated with an RAF P-8 in a manned-unmanned teaming demonstration supporting anti-submarine warfare activity, including the tracking, monitoring and reporting of sonobuoys.
The maritime MQ-9B configuration demonstrated at the time included a maritime surface-search radar, Automatic Identification System receiver and electro-optical and infrared sensors. General Atomics has also developed an anti-submarine warfare mission kit capable of working with sonobuoys.
Those capabilities should not be taken as confirmation of the final equipment fit for British Protector aircraft, which has yet to be disclosed or properly evaluated.
Defence had already begun examining a wider maritime role before publication of the Strategic Defence Review. In January 2025, ministers said Britain was working with the NATO Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force to scope options for using Protector in the North Atlantic and Arctic.
After the Strategic Defence Review, however, the Government stopped short of giving a timetable. Asked in October 2025 when Protector would be integrated with P-8 Poseidon and Type 26, Pollard said the maritime capability was being considered through the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.
The published Investment Plan subsequently allocated £590 million to Protector over the four years to 2029-30, but did not explicitly describe the maritime surveillance programme. It separately committed £260 million to upgrade the RAF’s P-8 Poseidon aircraft and equip them with the UK-built Sting Ray torpedo.
The latest answer now confirms that the Investment Plan actually resulted in a direction to bring Protector’s maritime capabilities forward, with detailed programme milestones being reconsidered as part of the wider Protector review.
That review comes as the overall aircraft programme works through a number of outstanding issues. The latest government major-projects assessment rated Protector Red, citing its pending programme rebaseline alongside trained crew numbers, Full Motion Video metadata dissemination and delays to weapons testing.
Some of those issues have since moved forward. Protector is already being employed operationally, Paveway IV has been operationally available since March 2026 and Brimstone 3 testing has progressed to analysis ahead of operational clearance.
By December, Defence now expects to have rebaselined the milestones governing the programme, including the work intended to turn Protector from a predominantly land-focused persistent surveillance and strike aircraft into another sensor within Britain’s increasingly integrated North Atlantic maritime force.
Need a Scottish base to operate from. Prestwick maybe or if not how about an enclave at Kinross. Operating from Waddington the MOB is too far away. We also need more frames, say another dozen.
At same time we need GBAD for all our key MOBs against drone and other threats. Operated by the RAF Regiment please.
Fat chance though with this a government.
Very sensible – the reported losses of large numbers of US drones over Iran suggests these are now too vulnerable to be used over land.