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E-3D Sentry

Detects low-flying or maritime targets at ranges of more than 280 nautical miles

E-3D Sentry

E-3D Sentry

The RAF operates seven E-3D Sentry aircraft in the airborne surveillance and control role as the UK’s contribution to the NATO airborne early warning force.

Based on the Boeing 707, the aircraft can cruise at 30,000ft and 460mph and can stay airborne for ten hours without in-flight refuelling. The normal crew is 17, broken down into four flight deck crew, three technicians and a ten man mission crew. It is the only aircraft that can be refuelled by both the American ‘flying boom’ system and the RAF’s ‘probe and drogue’ method.

The heart of the E-3D is the Northrop Grumman radar. The radar’s look down capability allows it to detect low-flying or maritime targets at ranges of more than 280 nautical miles. Vertical scans of the radar beam provide information on the altitude of a target while beyond the horizon scanning allows very long range tracking of medium and high altitude targets.

These capabilities allow the Sentry to determine the accurate location, height, heading and speed of a target. On-board controllers can detect, manage and display large numbers of aircraft at any altitude or compile an accurate picture of ships or surface targets and transmit this information to a variety of ground, air and sea-based assets. By networking information from a variety of sources and using datalink systems, it is possible to find a target, identify it and, if required, order its destruction, all in the shortest possible time.

The Sentry is crucial to future air operations as the focus shifts from early warning to ISTAR – intelligence, surveillance, target, acquisition and reconnaissance. As part of this shift RAF E-3Ds will undergo regular modification programmes.

The UK Sentry fleet is shared by 8 and 23 Squadrons at RAF Waddington. 23 Squadron also operates as the operational conversion unit, training future Sentry crews.

Military Air Solutions are playing a key-partner role on the E-3D Sentry whole-life support programme, working along side Northrop Grumman - the first time the businesses support capabilities have been applied to a third-party RAF aircraft. Military Air Solutions are on base at RAF Waddington, providing depth maintenance, ground maintenance training and on-line technical information. The contract supports the aircraft through to the out of service date of 2025 and will reduce the cost of support by 20 per cent.

E-3D Sentry Specifications:

  • Powerplant: Four General Electrics CFM56 Turbofans
  • Wingspan: 44.98m
  • Height: 12.7m
  • Length: 46.68m
  • Max Speed: 531 mph at 30,000ft
  • Operating Altitude: Over 30,000ft 
  • Crew: 17

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