COLOGNE, Germany — American drone manufacturer General Atomics recently received a critical safety endorsement from the UK’s aviation regulators for its Protector drone. This certification permits the drone to operate regularly over civilian-populated areas, according to a company announcement made this week.

The Military Type Certificate awarded to the Royal Air Force’s Protector RG Mk1, also known as MQ-9B, signifies that it has successfully undergone stringent airworthiness evaluations, as per a statement from General Atomics.

With this certification, the drones are now cleared to operate “without geographic restrictions, including over densely populated areas,” the company declared.

This development is a significant milestone for the American drone company, which has been promoting the capability of its drones to safely navigate civilian airspace as a major advantage in its European market expansion efforts.

Typically, military drones are restricted to specific corridors when flying over land, particularly in the crowded urban regions prevalent across Europe. This is largely because these drones were initially engineered primarily for military use, without much emphasis on safety features like fail-safe propulsion systems or mid-air collision avoidance technologies.

“This April 29 decision marks an unprecedented achievement for a large-scale unmanned aircraft system,” noted General Atomics in its statement, referring to the date when the UK Military Aviation Authority finalized its decision. “It’s a monumental success for the UK and represents a significant technological breakthrough in the realm of unmanned aircraft systems.”

Central to this certification is a NATO standard known as STANAG 4671, which ensures that once a drone meets these airworthiness criteria, its certification is recognized among all alliance members.

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Linden Blue, CEO of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, revealed that the company invested approximately $500 million and 11 years to secure the MQ-9B’s certification according to this NATO safety standard.

In addition to the British Royal Air Force, General Atomics has confirmed orders for the MQ-9B from several other countries and organizations including Belgium, Canada, Poland, the Japan Coast Guard, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Taiwan, and India.