The United Kingdom's new Protector RG Mk1 UAV has still not reached Initial Operating Capability (IOC), although it was expected to do so last year. The UK Ministry of Defence has officially stated that it does not plan to disclose a new timeline for achieving IOC and has also declined to explain why the milestone was not reached last year.
UK Defence Journal reported this, citing Minister for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard. He said he would not comment on timelines or on the specific criteria required to achieve IOC. At the same time, he stressed that this milestone is clearly defined and the Ministry of Defence is working to ensure the necessary conditions are in place to achieve it as soon as possible.
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However, an important nuance has emerged: Protector drones form part of a broader system, and progress appears to depend on how quickly other efforts move forward including increasing personnel, expanding or sustaining infrastructure, and concluding support contracts.
As a result, although the Protector RG Mk1 has not yet achieved IOC, it has already been deployed on operations and is providing valuable intelligence and surveillance support.
Protector RG Mk1 is based on the MQ-9B SkyGuardian. In the UK Armed Forces, it replaces the former fleet of MQ-9A Reaper UAVs, which were officially withdrawn from service in September last year.
Over the past year, this marks the second setback in a UK drone program. The first involved the Watchkeeper WK450, which turned into a £1.35 billion failure after a crash. Last year, the UK began searching for a replacement solution. Smaller UAVs are under consideration, including Ukraine's Raybird as one possible option.
The UK has also announced that it will not transfer either the troubled Watchkeeper WK450 or the retired MQ-9A Reaper drones to Ukraine. Although this decision sometimes draws criticism, it has a logical explanation.Instead, the UK will focus on other support projects for the Ukrainian Defence Forces, including in the drone sector.
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