The UK Ministry of Defence has signed a logistics and sustainment agreement with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) to support the Royal Air Force’s Protector RG Mk1 remotely piloted aircraft. The contract, titled the UK Protector Availability and Support Solution (UK PASS), will cover maintenance, training systems, and spare parts for the fleet.
The Protector RG Mk1 is the UK-specific variant of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, developed by GA-ASI. The support agreement marks a shift from the aircraft’s development and testing phase to operational readiness, according to the company.
The UK PASS contract falls under a Direct Commercial Sale framework and includes logistical support for the aircraft, ground control stations, and simulation-based training systems.
The agreement is also part of GA-ASI’s broader SkyGuardian Global Support Solutions (SGSS), which standardizes logistics support across multiple international MQ-9B users. SGSS is based on a shared contractor logistics model, allowing customers to access pooled resources such as parts and technical support, which is intended to reduce operational costs through economies of scale.
Group Captain Rich Cameron, who leads the UK’s Uncrewed Air System 3 Team, said the contract reflects three years of collaboration between UK and U.S. teams. He noted that the deal differs from traditional maintenance contracts by drawing from a global inventory shared across multiple MQ-9B operators.
The MQ-9B system is currently in service or on order with several countries, including Canada, Poland, Japan, India, Taiwan, and the United States, in addition to the UK. The platform has also participated in joint military exercises with the U.S. Navy.