The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) has signed a significant logistics and maintenance agreement with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) for the sustainment of the Protector RG Mk1 Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) fleet, operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF).
Known as the UK Protector Availability and Support Solution (UK PASS), the contract ensures long-term operational readiness and support for the RAF’s next-generation RPA, based on GA-ASI’s MQ-9B SkyGuardian® platform. This Direct Commercial Sale agreement covers the RPA itself, along with the Certifiable Ground Control Stations and Synthetic Training Systems.
“This contract marks an essential milestone in the fielding of the Protector RPA system for the RAF,” said Chris Dusseault, Vice President of MQ-9B in Europe at GA-ASI. “With the UK 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.”
UK PASS is a key component of GA-ASI’s SkyGuardian Global Support Solutions (SGSS) — a unified Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) model that consolidates labour, materials, and overhead across the MQ-9B global user base. This multi-customer approach significantly reduces costs and increases efficiency for all participants.
Group Captain Rich Cameron, Uncrewed Air System 3 Team Leader, added:
“The awarding of the PASS contract marks three years of intensive work between GA-ASI and UK MOD multidisciplinary teams to turn a concept into a reality. This has generated a first-in-class sustainment solution for the Royal Air Force Protector fleet, that exploits contractor-owned inventory from a global common spares pool. This contract differs from a traditional spares and repairs contract, achieving economies of scale via a multi-customer common operating model.”
The MQ-9B is recognised globally as one of the most advanced RPAs, offering extended endurance and mission flexibility. In addition to the RAF’s Protector fleet, GA-ASI has delivered or secured orders for MQ-9B aircraft from a growing list of international operators including Canada, Poland, Japan (Coast Guard and Maritime Self-Defense Force), Taiwan, India, and the U.S. Air Force, particularly in support of Special Operations Command.
MQ-9B has also demonstrated its operational versatility in exercises with the U.S. Navy, including Northern Edge, Integrated Battle Problem, and Group Sail.
About GA-ASI
With over 8 million flight hours logged, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. is a global leader in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Its Predator® series has evolved to include industry-defining platforms such as the MQ-9A Reaper®, MQ-1C Gray Eagle® 25M, MQ-20 Avenger®, and the MQ-9B SkyGuardian®/SeaGuardian®. The company continues to drive innovation in persistent surveillance and rapid-strike capabilities.
