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Canadian Aerospace
– Background – Bombardier Sentinel R1 |
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The Sentinel is a Raytheon project to integrate battle- field surveillance sensors into the
airframe of the well- established Bombardier Global Express biz jet. Flight- trials to prove the necessary radomes and fairings
were performed with a standard Global Express airframe (at right) prior to the actual systems integration work
done at the Raytheon facility down in Greenville, Texas . [1]
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The Sentinel R1's main external changes are obvious: a large satellite link radome on the upper fuselage
and the 4.6m-long pannier beneath the main cabin holding the radar antenna. A pair of auxiliary fins and
small fairings were added to restore stability. In service, a Sentinel R1 would broadcast
collected data to truck-mounted Ground Stations in near real time. This data is collected using a side-looking
airborne radar derived from the Raytheon ASARS-2 SLAR sets used in USAF U-2R.
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Raytheon developed the Sentinel R1 to meet ASTOR, the RAF's Airborne Stand-Off Radar requirement
for a battlefield surveillance 'platform' with long endurance but with a lower purchase price [2]
and operating costs than existing systems. Raytheon's ASTOR submission won the competition and five
of these Global Express adaptations have now entered service with the RAF's No 5 (Army
Co-Operation) Squadron stationed at RAF Waddington near Lincoln, Lincolnshire.
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Often called the Raytheon Sentinel R1 – in recognition of the difficulty involved
in any complex systems integration project – actual airframe assembly remains the responsibility of
Bombardier ( final assembly is performed at the former De Havilland Canada facility at Downsview, ON).
Bombardier is considering another military Global Express derivative – as maritime patrol replacement for Auroras.
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Bombardier ( Raytheon )
Sentinel R1 – Specifications
| Dimensions: |
span: 28.6m, length: 30.3m, height: 7.57m |
| Powerplant: |
2 x 65.5kN (14,750 lbst) RR BR710 turbofans |
Performance:
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max speed: 950 km/h, max cruise: 904 km/h,
operating altitude: 15,000m (50,000 feet) |
| Weights: |
empty weight: 22,817kg, MTOW: 43,094kg |
| Maximum range: |
12,000km (6500 nm), endurance: 14+ hours |
| Crew: |
2 x flightcrew, 3 mission systems operators |
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[1] Test aircraft, C-FBGX, was the original prototype Global Express converted by Bombardier to act as
R1 Sentinel development aircraft.
[2] Affordability is relative. Reportedly, Britain paid just over £1B (or Cdn $1.41B) for five aircraft and their
vehicle-based ground stations. By comparison, unit cost for a single US E-8C JSTARS aircraft (without GCS) is listed
at US $244.4M (US $308M in adjusted 2007 dollars).
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