Activists will gather at the gates of a Lincolnshire RAF base to protest the use of new armed drones at the station. The high-tech aircraft, known as Protectors (MQ-9B), will soon undergo rigorous flight tests around RAF Waddington before they are used on global surveillance missions.
Though the Ministry of Defence says it will protect the UK against ‘potential adversaries’ around the world, campaigners from Drone Wars UK say it raises ‘significant ethical problems’. A protest has been planned for Monday, November 13, with demonstrators meeting outside the main gate.
Campaigners argue using the remotely-operated devices, which have 79-foot wingspans and are armed with Brimstone missiles and laser-guided bombs, transfers the risk of combat from soldiers to civilians. They also believe the increased use of drones will mean an increase in ‘targeted killing’ by governments.
Poll: What’s the best thing to do on a rainy day in Lincolnshire?
Drones are typically used against combatants on foreign soil and in counter-terrorism operations, though they can be used to help the Coast Guard with search and rescue missions. Closer to home, campaigners also raised concerns over safety.
They say the drones can be prone to crashing, which may put residents in Waddington at risk. There have been several recorded crashes, with the Daily Mail reporting the loss of the seventh Watchkeeper drone off the coast of Cyprus in June 2022.
Chris Cole, from Drone Wars, said: “While the military use of large drones has grown significantly over the past decade, the technology itself is still far from mature.” RAF Waddington was contacted for comment but did not respond in time for publication.
The Protector will enter active service in 2024, replacing the 15-year-old Reaper drone. The machines will be operated remotely from the North Kesteven station by the reformed 31 Squadron.
After the first drone arrived in early October, defence procurement minister James Cartlidge said: “The UK’s world-class Protector aircraft will emphasise our ultra-modern surveillance, intelligence, and precision strike capabilities, ensuring we are ready to monitor and protect against potential adversaries around the globe.”
Trials involving flying a circuit above the base and take-off and landing procedures began on October 23. Fellow drone operators in the XIII Squadron lifted the lid on life piloting the Protector’s unmanned predecessor, the Reaper, saying that while the job was ‘superb,’ it took its toll.
The delivery of 15 further Protectors from the United States defence corporation General Atomics will be phased over the next two years.