Sentinel R.1
Raytheon Systems · United States · first flew 2001 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Sentinel R.1 is an airborne ground-surveillance aircraft based on the Bombardier Global Express business jet, carrying a powerful radar to track vehicles and map terrain across wide areas.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Rear-fuselage twin engines with T-tail |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Bombardier Global Express business jet
- Ventral radar canoe fairing
- Rear-fuselage twin engines with T-tail
A sleek business-jet planform betrayed by a long ventral radar canoe under the belly identifies it. The rear-mounted engines and swept T-tail follow the Global Express layout.
Specifications
- The Sentinel R.1 has a length of 30.3 m (99 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 28.5 m (94 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 900 km/h (559 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 flight crew plus mission operators.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed by Raytheon under the RAF's ASTOR programme, the aircraft first flew in modified form around 2001 and entered UK service in 2008. It gave Britain a sovereign long-range battlefield-surveillance capability comparable in role to the US Joint STARS.
Variants
The Sentinel was a single dedicated variant of the Global Express airframe, though it drew on radar technology related to other Raytheon surveillance systems. No export versions were built.
Where you'll see it
The Sentinel R.1 served exclusively with the Royal Air Force, flying with No. 5 Squadron and seeing heavy use over Afghanistan, Libya and Mali. It was retired in 2021 after years of high operational tempo, its capability handed to newer systems.
Related aircraft
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