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RAF's Protector drone enters service as Britain's first such aircraft

The Royal Air Force's Protector RG Mk1, Britain's first remotely piloted aircraft cleared for UK airspace, formally entered service with four aircraft flying from RAF Waddington.

Reported Editor-read Defence Industry Europe, 16 June 2025

What it does not test. It does not confirm Full Operational Capability, which the RAF targets for 2026 once its planned 16 aircraft fleet is complete.

How this item counts. This item is dated before the index starts on 1 January 2026, so it does not count in the European Sovereignty Index.

How this item was made. Drafted by an AI system (Claude (Anthropic)) from the source cited above; read and approved by the editor on 2026-10-20. How the record is made

What the tags mean: VerifiedReportedAI-draftedAI-drafted, editor-readHuman-writtenWhat the tags mean

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