RAF Protector RG1 Drone Tracks Russian Warships in the English Channel for the First Time

The Royal Air Force used an unarmed Protector RG1 remotely piloted aircraft to monitor Russian warships in the English Channel during its first operational sorties in UK airspace. Disclosed on October 31, 2026, the missions accumulated more than ten hours of surveillance between late September and mid-October alongside Royal Navy ships and helicopters. Operated by XIII Squadron from RAF Waddington, Protector is the British MQ-9B SkyGuardian variant, combining radar and electro-optical surveillance with published endurance exceeding 40 hours. The Ministry of Defence did not disclose the precise sensor configuration employed, and the sorties involved surveillance rather than armed interception.