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FARNBOROUGH: RAF plans new Sentinel work
By:BETH STEVENSON - 16 Jul 2014
Following UK Prime Minster David Cameron’s pledge to continue the in-service life of theRoyal Air Force’s Raytheon-developed Sentinel R1 surveillance aircraft until 2018, the squadron that operates the aircraft is making plans to extend the type's operational capability.
Speaking at theFarnborough air show,RAF5 Sqn commanding officer Wg Cdr David Kane welcomed the government’s 14 July commitment to the aircraft’s continued operation as part of a £1.1 billion ($1.9 billion) funding boost.
“As a squadron we have been waiting on this for a long time and are obviously happy to have it,” Kane says. “We now have another three to four years in the game and this gives us the opportunity to do more.There is definite scope for growth.”
The aircraft flew 2,230h during 204 missions in support of the UK’s Operation Ellamy effort in Libya in 2011. The capability of the aircraft meant that it was utilised in a land-based application throughout the campaign, although a large proportion of the broader operation was based over the ocean.
The RAF is now looking to now add maritime capability to Sentinel, driven by Raytheon's experience in the development of naval systems.
This will include a specific maritime radar mode, options for long range optics, signals intelligence and an enhanced airborne mission system.
Five of the aircraft are presently in service with the RAF. Kane says it is unclear how the logistics of the maritime upgrade will be carried out, as it is yet to be decided if one aircraft will temporarily withdraw from operations in order to undergo the upgrade testing.
Kane emphasises that the upgrade will not mean that the aircraft becomes a maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) – something which the UK is expected to procure in the near future – but will instead be akin to “an embryonic MPA”.
Sentinel has flown in support of Operation Herrick in Afghanistan since 2009, and will continue to do so until a decision is taken on a date for withdrawal.
It has also flown in Operation Newcom, during which the UK supported France in its anti-insurgency campaign in Mali, as well as during a period of heavy flooding in the UK when Sentinel surveyed inundated areas for analysis using the synthetic aperture radar capability of the aircraft.
Codenamed Operation Pitchpole, RAF personnel on training flights incorporated the flood data collection into its routine flights.
Operation Turus, meanwhile, saw the aircraft deployed to Nigeria in the search for missing schoolgirls kidnapped by terrorist group Boko Haram, when “the aircraft just got out there an got on with the job”.
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...l-work-401577/?cmpid=NLC|FGFG|FGDAY-2014-0716
Sentinel R1
The Sentinel R1 is the RAF’s only long-range wide area battlefield surveillance asset, providing critical intelligence and target tracking information to British and Coalition forces.
Specifications
Using the aircraft’s powerful radar the mission crew can identify and track numerous targets over great distances, passing the information in near real time to friendly forces. The mission crew is backed up by a team of intelligence specialists who conduct in-depth forensic analysis of data collected by the aircraft, generating intelligence products that are passed to commanders and decision makers enabling them to plan future operations. The on-board Intelligence Analysts are a mix of RAF and British Army Intelligence Corps SNCOs. The GS provide a longer term analytical capability to answer more in-depth questions and Requests for Information (RFIs). The GS are staffed by Intelligence Analysts s from the Intelligence Corps and RAF, and supported by R Signals and REME technicians, both at RAF Waddington and the deployed operating base.
By:BETH STEVENSON - 16 Jul 2014
Following UK Prime Minster David Cameron’s pledge to continue the in-service life of theRoyal Air Force’s Raytheon-developed Sentinel R1 surveillance aircraft until 2018, the squadron that operates the aircraft is making plans to extend the type's operational capability.
Speaking at theFarnborough air show,RAF5 Sqn commanding officer Wg Cdr David Kane welcomed the government’s 14 July commitment to the aircraft’s continued operation as part of a £1.1 billion ($1.9 billion) funding boost.
“As a squadron we have been waiting on this for a long time and are obviously happy to have it,” Kane says. “We now have another three to four years in the game and this gives us the opportunity to do more.There is definite scope for growth.”
The aircraft flew 2,230h during 204 missions in support of the UK’s Operation Ellamy effort in Libya in 2011. The capability of the aircraft meant that it was utilised in a land-based application throughout the campaign, although a large proportion of the broader operation was based over the ocean.
The RAF is now looking to now add maritime capability to Sentinel, driven by Raytheon's experience in the development of naval systems.
This will include a specific maritime radar mode, options for long range optics, signals intelligence and an enhanced airborne mission system.
Five of the aircraft are presently in service with the RAF. Kane says it is unclear how the logistics of the maritime upgrade will be carried out, as it is yet to be decided if one aircraft will temporarily withdraw from operations in order to undergo the upgrade testing.
Kane emphasises that the upgrade will not mean that the aircraft becomes a maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) – something which the UK is expected to procure in the near future – but will instead be akin to “an embryonic MPA”.
Sentinel has flown in support of Operation Herrick in Afghanistan since 2009, and will continue to do so until a decision is taken on a date for withdrawal.
It has also flown in Operation Newcom, during which the UK supported France in its anti-insurgency campaign in Mali, as well as during a period of heavy flooding in the UK when Sentinel surveyed inundated areas for analysis using the synthetic aperture radar capability of the aircraft.
Codenamed Operation Pitchpole, RAF personnel on training flights incorporated the flood data collection into its routine flights.
Operation Turus, meanwhile, saw the aircraft deployed to Nigeria in the search for missing schoolgirls kidnapped by terrorist group Boko Haram, when “the aircraft just got out there an got on with the job”.
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...l-work-401577/?cmpid=NLC|FGFG|FGDAY-2014-0716
Sentinel R1
The Sentinel R1 is the RAF’s only long-range wide area battlefield surveillance asset, providing critical intelligence and target tracking information to British and Coalition forces.
Specifications
- Engines:2 BMW/Rolls Royce 710 engines
- Thrust:14,750lbs each
- Max speed:0.89Mach
- Length:99.5ft
- Max altitude:49,000ft
- Span:93.6ft
- Aircrew:5
Using the aircraft’s powerful radar the mission crew can identify and track numerous targets over great distances, passing the information in near real time to friendly forces. The mission crew is backed up by a team of intelligence specialists who conduct in-depth forensic analysis of data collected by the aircraft, generating intelligence products that are passed to commanders and decision makers enabling them to plan future operations. The on-board Intelligence Analysts are a mix of RAF and British Army Intelligence Corps SNCOs. The GS provide a longer term analytical capability to answer more in-depth questions and Requests for Information (RFIs). The GS are staffed by Intelligence Analysts s from the Intelligence Corps and RAF, and supported by R Signals and REME technicians, both at RAF Waddington and the deployed operating base.
The Sentinel R1, which entered service in December 2008, is the most advanced long-range, airborne-surveillance system of its kind in the world. The aircraft has been deployed operationally in Afghanistan since 2009 and provided vital intelligence during NATO operations in Libya in 2011, and French operations in Mali, in 2013.
Sentinel System
After the 1990 Gulf War, it was identified by the allies that Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance had played a key role in the success of this operation. In particular, the use of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) had proved invaluable in the tracking and prosecution of enemy ground forces. This galvanised the UK to acquire its own capability and in 1993 the requirement was endorsed by the MOD.
The solution chosen by the MOD was the Airborne STand-Off Radar (ASTOR) to be known as the Sentinel system. The Sentinel system consists of Air, Land and Support segments. The Air segment consists of 5 converted Bombardier Global Express aircraft, named the Sentinel R1, fitted with a Dual Mode Radar (DMR). This radar is similar to the U2 ASARS radar, and collects SAR imagery and GMTI data. The Land segment consists of 2 transportable Operational Level Ground Stations (OLGS) and 6 mobile Tactical Ground Stations (TGS). These ground stations (GS) are connected to the aircraft via data links and provide Near Real Time (NRT) intelligence to commanders and their staffs at multiple levels of command.
Sentinel was originally intended for conventional war-fighting operations, to track armoured formations and conduct strategic reconnaissance tasks. However, the capability has been shown to be flexible and has been adapted for use in a number of different roles by 5(Army Cooperation) Sqn.
RAF - Sentinel R1
Sentinel System
After the 1990 Gulf War, it was identified by the allies that Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance had played a key role in the success of this operation. In particular, the use of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) had proved invaluable in the tracking and prosecution of enemy ground forces. This galvanised the UK to acquire its own capability and in 1993 the requirement was endorsed by the MOD.
The solution chosen by the MOD was the Airborne STand-Off Radar (ASTOR) to be known as the Sentinel system. The Sentinel system consists of Air, Land and Support segments. The Air segment consists of 5 converted Bombardier Global Express aircraft, named the Sentinel R1, fitted with a Dual Mode Radar (DMR). This radar is similar to the U2 ASARS radar, and collects SAR imagery and GMTI data. The Land segment consists of 2 transportable Operational Level Ground Stations (OLGS) and 6 mobile Tactical Ground Stations (TGS). These ground stations (GS) are connected to the aircraft via data links and provide Near Real Time (NRT) intelligence to commanders and their staffs at multiple levels of command.
Sentinel was originally intended for conventional war-fighting operations, to track armoured formations and conduct strategic reconnaissance tasks. However, the capability has been shown to be flexible and has been adapted for use in a number of different roles by 5(Army Cooperation) Sqn.
RAF - Sentinel R1
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