RAF Protector Drone Photographed Carrying Outdragon SIGINT Pod at RAF Akrotiri in First Public Sighting of UK Airborne Communications Intelligence System

The UK Ministry of Defence published imagery via its Defence Imagery service showing a Protector RG1 at RAF Akrotiri carrying a pod on the starboard wing's station 8 hardpoint alongside a Paveway IV, with EXIF data placing the photographs in April 2026 1. The Aviationist linked the pod to a since-withdrawn Protector loadout form (Form 725) that briefly appeared on GOV.UK, which designated station 8 as "Outdragon" or "OD" alongside a blade antenna appearing exclusively in ISR-configured loadouts 12. UK Defence Journal described Outdragon as an airborne communications intelligence system for locating persons of interest via mobile phone and wireless emissions across the VHF, UHF, and lower SHF spectrum; The Aviationist noted the exact function cannot be definitively confirmed, and the MoD has declined to confirm or deny the capability's existence, citing national security interests 12. Outdragon's existence was first publicly established by Drone Wars UK in April 2024 via FOIA, which confirmed MoD procured the system from General Atomics as a US Foreign Military Sale in April 2018 for approximately $5 million, with a further $2.254 million contract in April 2019 to integrate the capability onto the then-in-service MQ-9A Reaper fleet ahead of its transition to the Protector 1.