The UK Ministry of Defense has released new photos of the first deployment of MQ-9B Protector RG1s to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, including the best official view of what is believed to be the ‘Outdragon’ SIGINT pod.
As we have covered extensively aeronauticsThe Royal Air Force’s new fleet of MQ-9B Protector RG1 aircraft, replacing the MQ-9A Reaper, will enter service at RAF Akrotiri in the second half of 2025. After a series of local sorties that can be publicly tracked on flight tracking websites, the drones began operating over the Middle East as part of the long-running Operation Shader.
Official commentary on these operations was rare. This was very similar to comments made regarding previous operations involving MQ-9A Reapers flown from Middle Eastern bases such as Al Udeid, Qatar. Now the Ministry of Defense (MoD) has published images of the Protector RG1 aircraft at Akrotiri via the Official Defense Image Service.
The images not only provide the most official documentation of the operation to date, but also confirm active use of weapons and pod capabilities on the Protector RG1 platform. In several photos taken in April 2026, a Paveway IV precision-guided bomb can be seen being carried by an aircraft under the port wing, with a large, distinctive pod on the starboard wing, according to camera EXIF data.
These pods are very similar to those previously seen on US Reapers, but other than intentionally vague statements regarding the MQ-9A and Protector RG1’s ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) sensor suite, this is not an officially revealed feature.
This is an update from last year. A few days ago several people brought to my attention a series of images showing a blurry pod aboard an MQ-9A in Kuwait. A set of images detailing the same training exercise, but most likely with the same unblurred pods in July. https://t.co/DhjSJ3uztH pic.twitter.com/Y49H9J0Tv0
— Emma Smith (@ameliairheart) August 29, 2023
For a while, the RAF’s own documentation (Form 725) on the loadout of the Protector RG1 was publicly posted on the official GOV.UK website. In this file you can see a piece of equipment listed for Station 8 on the starboard wing, known as ‘Outdragon’ or ‘OD’. The most current version of this form is not publicly available.
The image also shows a large blade antenna mounted on the centerline of the fuselage. This is also stated on the form and only loadouts designated for the ISR feature, including ‘Outdragon only’ loadouts, have this feature.
The Outdragon’s exact capabilities cannot be confirmed with certainty, but its apparent pairing with large bladed antennas and its lack of visible openings for optical, infrared, or even radar-based sensors suggest that it may form part of the described capabilities. Jane’s Used as a “comprehensive” signals intelligence (SIGINT) suite.
Other UK ISR payloads
RAF Reapers were unfamiliar with undisclosed payloads. As mentioned in Jane’s In its later years it always carried two ‘cheeks’ on either side of the fuselage, as featured in the article listed above and in many official images of the RAF MQ-9. Air Force budget documents mention the relocation of Air Handler (Cellphone Positioning System) equipment from the ‘payload tray’ to the cheek, but their exact nature is likewise unconfirmed. Other articles refer to these as ‘air handler balls’.
It’s unclear whether this means the ball is dedicated to the Air Handler, or if it’s just configurable space for additional payload. The length of each cheek and its location on either side of the aircraft makes it well suited to replacing pod capabilities while providing a similar amount of space for equipment and good visibility for all directional sensors.
The blade antenna mentioned above was seen used with this ball on the MQ-9A. If the blade is directly related to Outdragon, it could mean that the ball antenna (called the Air Handler ball, as mentioned above) was also previously used on Outdragon equipment. It could also suggest a connection between Outdragon and Air Handler.
🎥 Behind the scenes footage of the RAF Museum’s recently acquired General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper heading to Royal Air Force Cosford Airfield, ready for the @cosfordairshow this Sunday! 🎉
This will be the first opportunity for aviation fans to see it in person… pic.twitter.com/yHdqiPwSew
— RAF Museum (@RAFMUSEUM) June 12, 2026
This ball has not yet been seen on the Protector RG1 and, notably, remains on the MQ-9A Reaper airframe after it was moved to the Royal Air Force Museum for public display.
self-deployment
Protector RG1 recently completed its first deployment flight from RAF Waddington, UK, through the airspace of various European countries, possibly to RAF Akrotiri. Previous Akrotiri deployments involved dismantling the aircraft and then shipping them via air transport.
It is certified by the military-certified Protector RG1 to operate outside of specially separated airspace. Unlike the MQ-9A Reaper, which has never flown over British airspace during its RAF service, the Protector RG1 operates directly from RAF Waddington and can travel to forward operating positions on its own ferries or complete sorties in and around the British Isles if required.
Many thanks to Emma Smith for her help in writing this article based on her experience with the MQ-9’s extensive and ever-expanding external equipment. You can find her on X/Twitter and Bluesky.
