The U.K. Ministry of Defence has awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. a contract to support and sustain the Royal Air Force’s Protector RG Mk1 drone fleet. The agreement, known as the U.K. Protector Availability and Support Solution, covers the remotely piloted aircraft, ground control stations and synthetic training systems.
According to GA-ASI, the U.K. PASS contract is a direct commercial sale and forms part of GA-ASI’s SkyGuardian Global Support Solutions, a shared logistics model that pools support services across the MQ-9B customer base, offering increased efficiency and lower maintenance costs.
Chris Dusseault, GA-ASI’s vice president of MQ-9B in Europe, said the deal marks a key milestone in preparing the RAF for operational use of the aircraft. “With the U.K. PASS contract in place, we can now transition from the test and development phase of the program to training the RAF flight crews for operations,” he said.
According to Rich Cameron, group captain of the RAF’s Uncrewed Air System 3 Team, the three-year collaboration between the U.K. MOD and GA-ASI has produced a sustainment model that goes beyond traditional spares and repairs, drawing from a global inventory and multi-customer logistics strategy.
This U.K. deal is the latest in GA-ASI’s international engagements related to the MQ-9B. In April, Hanwha Aerospace pledged $205 million to fund a partnership for drone development and manufacturing in South Korea. Earlier, Poland ordered three MQ-9B SkyGuardian systems, two ground control stations and a three-year support package to enhance its armed forces.