The Lincolnshire drone pilots who are the vital eyes and ears in warzones

For 10 years, the Reaper drone has remotely put RAF Waddington personnel on the frontlines in Iraq, Syria and other combat zones.

It is the eyes and ears for military operations, patrolling the skies with a 66ft wingspan and cameras so powerful they can read a numberplate from two miles away.

The Lincolnshire airbase is home to the UK’s Remotely Piloted Aircraft System, which is in operation almost 24 hours a day.

Over the last decade, the Reaper Force has launched weapons 1538 times and spent 155,000 hours in the sky.

A model of the Reaper aircraft, remotely controlled by personnel based at RAF Waddington. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

It is a crucial milestone for XIII Squadron. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Each of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles is crewed by one pilot, a sensor operator and a mission intelligence coordinator – all working out of a control room based at RAF Waddington.

The crews in the control room work as eyes and ears for commanders on the ground, using the Reaper’s multiple sensors to amass intel on a specific area.

The aircraft has global reach capabilities and capacity to fly for up to 16 hours at a time.

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Missions are still ongoing for the Reaper Force as XIII Squadron continue to conduct armed reconnaissance patrols against elements of Daesh in Syria, and supporting Iraqi authorities in keeping them out of the country.

The Reapers will soon be replaced by new Protector drones, with RAF Waddington hoping to bring them into operation in 2024.

The 10 UK Reapers will then be steadily phased out from service.

The main difference with this will be the Protector’s ability to fly directly from RAF Waddington, as the Royal Air Force prepare for the future of military operations.

The Protector will replace the current Reaper drones and will be capable of being flown anywhere in the world while being operated by personnel at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, where it will enter service by mid-2024. | Photo: MoD

Wing Commander Stuart McAdam, Officer Commanding XIII Squadron at RAF Waddington. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Wing Commander Stuart McAdam, the Officer Commanding XIII Squadron, told The Lincolnite that the proud RAF history of Lincolnshire can continue for years to come thanks to the base being home of UK RPAS operations.

“I am immensely proud of everything XIII Squadron has done here at RAF Waddington, firstly on Operation Herrick and secondly on Operation Shader, and it’s really heartwarming to see a dedicated team deliver 24/7 operations of Reaper here in Lincolnshire.

“It’s great to have the home of UK defence’s main Remotely Piloted Air System Squadron here at RAF Waddington.

“It will also be the future when Protector comes in, ensuring that RPAS and the team behind them stay here and deliver this superb capability for defence.

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

“The main change has been our ability to take part in war fighting from home.

“The majority of time you deploy overseas for operations, but now you can do these operations back here, so the big change has been balancing that intense working nature with your home and family life, and the challenges that brings also.

“In essence there is actually very little change in the way we operate and the way we do our training, as well as how we deliver operations.”

The Lincolnite reporter Ellis Karran with two intel analysts at RAF Waddington. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Two intelligence analysts at RAF Waddington told The Lincolnite about their pride in working for such an essential but fairly secret service within the Royal Air Force.

They said: “We process imagery and video from the Reaper, tracking and identifying potential targets, and then pass on the intel to senior commanders who will make an informed decision.

“We typically work on operations out in Iraq and Syria, and seeing the development of RPAS is truly an amazing thing to be a part of.”

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

There is an element of silent hero about these types of jobs. Intel analysts play huge roles in RPAS operations, but do so in a behind the scenes role – which they say is aided by a strong support network at RAF Waddington.

The anonymous analysts added: “When we leave work, we park all of what we’ve been doing within the building.

“It can be hard working on serious operations, but thankfully we have really strong support from the team at RAF Waddington who are always there to look after us and talk to us if we need it.”

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