RAF Protector Force Reaches 1,000 Deployed Flight Hours in Middle East

The Royal Air Force’s Protector force reached 1,000 flight hours during a Middle East deployment. The MQ-9B-based aircraft support intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, a role the RAF described as useful.

Key details

• Protector aircraft are based on the MQ-9B.
• The RAF described the force as a useful intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance asset.

The RAF Protector force has recorded 1,000 flight hours in deployed operations.

Why it matters

The deployed flight-hour total shows the RAF has used its MQ-9B-based aircraft on operations in the Middle East. Their ISTAR role gives the service an airborne platform for gathering and supporting the use of information.