The Royal Air Force has deployed its new Protector RG Mk1 drones equipped with the Outdragon electronic intelligence system to RAF Akrotiri.

Images released by the British Ministry of Defence show a 54 Squadron Protector aircraft operating from the base with an Outdragon signals intelligence pod mounted beneath its right wing.

The photographs mark the first confirmed operational deployment of the system with the RAF’s new drone fleet.

Outdragon is designed to gather communications intelligence by detecting and tracking electronic signals emitted by devices such as mobile phones or routers.

The system was acquired through the US Foreign Military Sales programme, from weapons manufacturer General Atomics in 2018 for around $5 million dollars with a further $2.2 million contract to integrate the system with RAF aircraft.

The addition of Outdragon expands the aircraft’s intelligence gathering role beyond conventional surveillance by enabling it to collect and analyse electronic data during operations.