Insight: Unmanned uprising for the RAF
As senior officials in the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) suggest that the balance between manned and unmanned platforms is shifting to the latter, a key UAV programme could see additional delays into service.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has finally released an entry to service date for the MQ-9B Protector following the release of its National Security Capability Review (NSCR) on 28 March.
Previously the ministry had been vague with timings suggesting as to when the new UAV could enter service with the RAF, with the early 2020s mentioned for an initial operating capability.
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