The RAF has hosted the first knowledge-sharing event for the Protector remotely piloted aircraft system, bringing together military personnel from Canada, Denmark and Norway for two weeks of direct insight into UK operations, according to the RAF.
Twelve personnel attended the event at RAF Waddington from 16 to 27 March 2026, receiving briefings on aircrew and engineer training, weapons systems, intelligence support and cyber operations. The UK drew on its own experience of bringing Protector into service and from its first operational deployment over the Middle East in November 2025, sharing practical lessons that allied nations would otherwise have to learn independently as they bring the system into their own fleets.
The event forms part of the MQ-9 International Co-operation Support Partnership, which is designed to help allied nations plan and procure the Protector system more effectively. By sharing lessons learned from its own experience, the RAF said it was helping partners avoid duplication, reduce risk and strengthen NATO’s collective drone capability, with the partnership reflecting the UK government’s stated commitment to NATO as the foundation of national security.
Canada, Denmark and Norway are among a growing number of nations either operating or considering the MQ-9B platform, which forms the basis of the RAF’s Protector RG Mk1. The system represents a significant step forward in persistent surveillance and strike capability compared to its predecessor, the Reaper, offering greater endurance, a larger payload capacity and a certified airworthiness standard that allows it to operate in non-segregated airspace alongside civilian aircraft.
The RAF’s first operational deployment of Protector over the Middle East in November 2025 gave the service direct combat experience with the platform in a live operational environment.
How many of these have the Yanks lost so far In Chumps “Special operation” ?