Royal Air Force MQ-9A Reaper Retired

The Royal Air Force retired its MQ-9A Reaper fleet on 30 September 2025 after 18 years of service, with the MQ-9B Protector RG1 taking over its unmanned intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance and strike roles. Janes reported the withdrawal from sources on 1 October, and the RAF confirmed on 3 October that the type's last flight had taken place on 30 September. The Reaper had been based overseas throughout its career, flying more than 173,000 hours over Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and the wider Middle East with 39 and XIII Squadrons, the latter operating from RAF Waddington until the end. Janes counted ten Reapers in service since 2007.