The Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Protector RG Mk1, also known as MQ-9B, has gained a military type certificate (MTC) from the UK Military Aviation Authority following a stringent airworthiness evaluation.
The certification confirms the safety of the MQ-9B uncrewed aircraft for unrestricted operational use, including flights over densely populated regions.
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Marking a first-of-its-kind milestone for a large UAS, the development is pivotal for the ongoing testing and enhancement of the aircraft, which is expected to provide improved intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities to the RAF.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) said it is the first large, uncrewed aircraft manufacturer to receive an MTC for meeting the STANAG 4671, the NATO standard that governs the airworthiness of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS).
GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue said: “Earning an MTC for MQ-9B was a herculean effort and a seminal achievement for our company.
“We invested over $500m as part of an 11-year effort to develop an uncrewed aircraft that meets Nato’s rigorous airworthiness standards.
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By GlobalData“This included three flight test aircraft, full component and system-level environmental testing to DO-160G and applicable Mil-Standards, full scale static test airframe test to ultimate ground and flight loads, bird strike, hail protection and full-scale fatigue testing to three lifetimes (3x 40,000 notional aircraft flight hours = 120,000 hours total).
“Our engineers developed over 140,000 pages of detailed technical data verifying that the MQ-9B met those demanding requirements. I congratulate our team for this outstanding accomplishment, and I know our customers need this type certification, which will open civil airspace for their flight operations.”
The RAF is steadily receiving its order of new Protector aircraft at RAF Waddington. To date, the UK has received ten out of the 16 units.
Type Airworthiness Authority and Protector Type Certificate holder group captain Neil Venables said: “Achieving the award of a first in class Military Type Certificate has required years of dedication and perseverance and is a testament to the hard work of all involved. It is a privilege to be the first to be awarded an MTC for the Protector Air System.”
Claimed to be the world’s most advanced medium altitude, long endurance UAS, the MQ-9B includes models such as the SkyGuardian, SeaGuardian, and the RAF-operated Protector.
GA-ASI’s MQ-9B has attracted a global customer base, with MQ-9B orders from Belgium, Canada, Poland, the Japan Coast Guard, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, India, Taiwan, and the US Air Force in support of the Special Operations Command.
