Airforces

re-engineering of the Predator B design

to make it more robust and durable. The

airframe is strengthened with new materials

to better withstand everything from lightning

and bird strikes to ‘tool drops’ during ground

maintenance. Software enhancements cover

other areas including the flight control system.

These developments, which include an

automatic take-off and landing capability,

also deliver significant performance

improvements which, among other things,

help to reduce accidents and double the

new product’s fatigue life from 20,000 to

40,000 hours, according to Alexander.

GA-ASI is also working to develop a

radar- and transponder-based sense-and-

avoid system for the CPB – an essential

prerequisite for operating in non-segregated

airspace. The CPB is seen as the means

to break into non-military markets and a

potential winner in the race between RPAS

manufacturers to offer a certifiable product.

“If we don’t do this, others will, and they will

leave us behind,” Alexander warned. “Our

company is fully committed to the Certifiable

Predator B programme; it’s our future.”

RAF orders Protector

In November 2015, the UK’s Strategic

Defence and Security Review (SDSR) formally

endorsed the Protector requirement and

committed the UK to buying “more than

20 new Protector armed remotely piloted

aircraft, more than doubling the number of

the Reaper aircraft which they replace.”

This formally cleared the RAF and procurement

officials from the Defence Equipment and

Support organisation to begin the commercial

process that will lead to the eventual purchase.

It was quickly determined that only the

Certifiable Predator B would meet the RAF’s

requirements and a ‘main gate’ decision was

made by the MOD in April 2016 to begin

contract negotiations with General Atomics,

which it said would be worth £415m. Sixteen

airframes were involved in the first phase of the

contract, with more expected to be ordered later

in the programme. The contract was signed

in November 2016 after rapid negotiations.

The RAF was particularly interested in the

Certifiable Predator B because not only

does it offer enhanced performance and

payload, but there is also the potential for

the air vehicle to serve in the UK, Europe

and other locations where it would be

flying in controlled civilian airspace.

Although the Reaper had performed superbly

in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, there was little

civilian air traffic in these countries and the

RAF’s future RPAS needed to be able to work

in more congested environments. An MOD

spokesman said the Certifiable Predator B

was the “only viable option capable of meeting

the UK Protector’s key user requirements,

importantly allowing it to operate in both

controlled and uncontrolled airspace.”

The RAF confirmed that the intention was to

eventually station the Protector Force at RAF

Waddington, Lincolnshire, allowing the new

aircraft to take part in training exercises with

UK-based assets and possibly participate

in both homeland and maritime security

operations in support of civil authorities.

Sovereign capability

Details of the scope and ambition of the

Protector programme continued to emerge

during 2017. It has become increasingly clear

that the RAF Protector will have capabilities

more advanced than even the latest variants

of the Reaper currently being procured by the

USAF. Progress has been fast. On November

17, 2016, the first prototype (YBC01) made its

maiden flight, in California, and in December

2016 the MOD announced it was making a

£100m investment in the Protector to fund

the integration of UK-specific weapons and

systems including the MBDA Brimstone 2

missile and Raytheon Paveway IV dual-mode

guided bomb, as well as X-Band SATCOM

and a signals intelligence payload. The

Protector will have nine weapons and/or

stores-pylons, including one on the fuselage

centreline, compared with four on the Reaper.

An important element of the Protector is the

UK’s ability to independently modify it and

facilitate future upgrades. Dave Alexander

said in September 2017 that the provision

of a design authority capability would mean

To facilitate qualification testing, the

manufacturer is completing three company-

owned CBP aircraft, along with two airframes

for full-scale fatigue and static testing. Sky

Guardian prototype YBC01 received the US civil

registration N190TC. General Atomics

Left: The Protector will be based on the Certifiable Predator B (CPB), dubbed MQ-

9B Sky Guardian for US customers. This is the fuselage of Sky Guardian prototype

YBC01 prior to painting. General Atomics Below: General Atomics is using company

funds to develop the Sky Guardian – the baseline system for the RAF’s Protector.

It will eventually comply with NATO’s STANAG 4671, the only internationally

recognised airworthiness regulation for a large RPAS. General Atomics

RAF 100

96 // FEBRUARY 2018 #359 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com