RAF Retires MQ-9A Reaper After 18 Years, Welcomes MQ-9B Protector
The Royal Air Force (RAF) has bid farewell to its MQ-9A Reaper remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) after nearly two decades of service, marking the end of an era for the unmanned aerial vehicle that played a critical role in supporting UK and coalition forces.
The Reaper, which entered RAF service in October 2007, accumulated over 173,000 flight hours during its 18-year tenure. It was instrumental in operations Herrick and Shader, providing persistent overwatch, armed reconnaissance, and precision strikes. Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth praised the Reaper's crucial support to troops on the ground.
The retirement of the Reaper makes way for its successor, the MQ-9B Protector. Manufactured by American company General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), the Protector is the first large RPAS cleared to fly routinely in unsegregated UK airspace, a milestone granted in May 2025. It introduces enhancements like greater endurance, upgraded sensors, and certification for UK airspace operation. The first Protector arrived at RAF Waddington in June 2025, with initial operational capability expected by the end of this year and full operational capability planned for 2026. The RAF operated a fleet of ten Reapers, with the final operational mission taking place in late September 2025.
The retirement of the MQ-9A Reaper signals a significant shift in RAF capabilities, as the MQ-9B Protector assumes intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and strike duties. The Protector's enhanced features and UK airspace clearance promise to further boost the RAF's operational effectiveness.
