British forces have established an aerial patrol over the Republic of Cyprus, deploying the advanced MQ-9B Protector drone to identify and neutralise hostile targets amidst the rapidly widening US-led war against Iran.
Flight tracking data from Tuesday morning confirmed that a Protector RG Mk1, operating under the callsign RFR7331, launched from RAF Akrotiri at 9:00 am to conduct a systematic sweep of the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Protector is designed for medium-altitude, long-endurance missions, allowing it to remain airborne for over 40 hours while providing real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) through high-definition sensors and specialized radar.
The high-altitude operation serves as an early-warning layer for an international task force that now includes Greek F-16s and the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, following Monday’s drone strikes on the Akrotiri runway.
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