Aviation News – July 7, 2025 – The Royal Air Force has officially opened its new Protector RG Mk1 flight and training centre at RAF Waddington, with a ceremony led by the Air Officer Commanding 1 Group.
Named The Oxspring Building in honour of Group Captain Bobby Oxspring—who led the first RAF jet flight across the Atlantic in 1949—the facility houses ground control stations, simulators, and training areas for the RAF’s new remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS), Protector RG Mk1.
The centre is run by 54 Squadron, the Advanced Air ISTAR Academy, which delivers over 30 training courses and oversees Protector instruction. It also hosts NATO’s Flight Training Europe (NFTE) Campus, a major initiative led by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to train allied aircrews. Seventeen NATO nations are currently part of the NFTE Support Partnership.
Protector brings enhanced ISTAR and strike capabilities to the RAF. Remotely piloted from RAF Waddington, it can fly up to 40,000 feet for more than 30 hours and be deployed worldwide with minimal support.
Following its recent entry into service, further testing will take place this summer ahead of the RAF’s transition from Reaper to Protector in 2025. Protector is the UK’s first RPAS cleared to fly in all classes of national airspace.
Photo Rob Vogelaar
