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Raytheon Sentinel
| Sentinel R1 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) ZJ692 landing at Waddington Air Show 2006 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Airborne battlefield and ground surveillance aircraft |
| National origin | United States Canada |
| Manufacturer | Raytheon (modifications) Bombardier (airframe) |
| Primary user | Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 5 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 2008 |
| First flight | 26 May 2004 |
| Retired | March 2021 |
| Developed from | Bombardier Global Express |
The Raytheon Sentinel is a retired airborne battlefield and ground surveillance aircraft formerly operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF). While based on the Bombardier Global Express ultra long-range business jet, the prime contractor for the Sentinel was the American defence firm Raytheon, which supplied most of the mission systems and performed the integration work.[1]
Originally known as the ASTOR (Airborne STand-Off Radar) programme, procurement of the type started during 1999. Following its delivery in 2007, the Sentinel fleet was operated by an RAF squadron manned by both air force and army personnel. The Sentinel was interoperable with other allied systems such as JSTARS and the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system. Sentinels were deployed overseas on multiple occasions, such as in support of the British Army in Afghanistan, coalition forces in Libya, and to assist French forces deployed in Mali.[2][3] The type also saw smaller-scale deployments in Ghana and even domestically to assist disaster relief operations.
In 2010, the British government's Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) announced its intention to "withdraw the Sentinel airborne ground surveillance aircraft once it is no longer required to support operations in Afghanistan."[4] The 2010 decision was reversed in 2014 by Prime Minister David Cameron and in the 2015 SDSR, the British government announced that the type's retirement would be delayed and that it would remain in service "into the next decade".[5] Due to the repeated equivocations over its future, the Sentinel did not receive upgrades during its service life. The type was retired in March 2021.[6]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
monch 2019was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Mali: RAF surveillance aircraft Sentinel deployed". BBC. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
- ^ "Mali Militants Shift Up Tactics As France's War Coalition Grows". Wired.com. 26 January 2013.
- ^ "Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty: The Strategic Defence and Security Review" (PDF). HM Government. 19 October 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
- ^ "National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015" (PDF). HM Government. November 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ Cenciotti, David (25 February 2021). "RAF Sentinel makes final flight". BBC. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
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