| Sentinel R1 | |
|---|---|
| ZJ692 lifts from Runway 08 at Mojave | |
| Role | Airborne battlefield and ground surveillance aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Raytheon (modifications) Bombardier (airframe) |
| First flight | 26 May 2004 |
| Introduction | 2008 |
| Status | Initial Operating Capability (IOC) |
| Primary user | Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 5 |
| Unit cost | £954m (for a fleet of 5 aircraft plus 8 vehicle-based ground stations)[1] |
| Developed from | Bombardier Global Express |
The Raytheon Sentinel is a Bombardier Global Express modified as an airborne battlefield and ground surveillance platform for the British Royal Air Force. Originally known as the ASTOR (Airborne STand-Off Radar) programme the aircraft is operated by a RAF squadron manned by both air force and army personnel. The Sentinel is interoperable with other allied systems such as JSTARS and the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system.
The UK government's Strategic Defence and Security Review announced its intention to "withdraw the Sentinel airborne ground surveillance aircraft once it is no longer required to support operations in Afghanistan."[2]
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The Sentinel R1 is a modified Bombardier Global Express powered by two Rolls-Royce Deutschland BR710 turbofan engines. The first flight of the modified prototype was in August 2001, which validated the modifications required for the ASTOR system. The first production Sentinel R1 made its 4.4 hour maiden flight on 26 May 2004. The aircraft entered operational service with the Royal Air Force based at RAF Waddington and operated by V (AC) Squadron.[3]
The programme involved five aircraft and eight mobile ground stations (six on wheeled all terrain vehicles and two in air transportable containers), and a training facility at RAF Waddington.
The Sentinel cockpit has a centrally housed, pull-down screen capable of displaying a moving map, Link 16 datalink information and defensive aids subsystem (DASS) data. The DASS comprises a towed radar decoy, missile approach warning system and chaff and flare dispensers and can be operated in automatic, semi-automatic or manual mode.
The aircraft normally operates at over 40,000 feet (12,000 m) to ensure a high resolution view of a large battlefield area. It is crewed by a pilot, a co-pilot, an Airborne Mission Commander (AMC) and two image analysts. Mission endurance are around about nine hours.[1] While the image analysts can analyse the images on board the aircraft it is expected that, unlike the JSTARS, the actual battle management will occur on the ground.
The main radar is a Raytheon Systems dual-mode Synthetic Aperture / Moving Target Indication (SAR/MTI) radar.
While suffering from delays the project is one of few procurement projects to be below cost estimates.
General characteristics
Performance
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