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Background
— Aurora Alternatives — Global Express / R1 Sentinel |
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An aircraft under serious consideration as an Aurora alternative is Bombardier's
Global Express bizjet. This interest will have been sparked, in part, by entry into RAF
service of five battlefield surveillance derivatives, the R1 Sentinel. This is considered a Raytheon system
but Bombardier remains responsible for producing the actual airframe – final assembly is at
Downsview, ON.
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The R1 Sentinel'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. This is an interesting adaptation and comparatively
inexpensive by the standards of such specialized aircraft. [2] However, the R1 Sentinel is dedicated to its
surveillance role and is in no way a CP-140 Aurora-like maritime patrol aircraft.
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But Air Force planners may not be looking for a direct replacement for the Auroras. Reportedly,
the favoured plan is to fit the sensors and mission systems controls from the cancelled Aurora
modernization to the newer Global Express airframes. In engineering terms, this is easier than it sounds.
The new sensors and computers were integrated as part of AIMP Block III. This would be repeating the
Aurora model of putting already-integrated systems into a proven airframe. [3]
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Of course, in reality, integrating any system into a new "platform" is never simple. Nor is adapting
airframes designed for one type of mission (high altitude cruising, in this case) for another (low altitude
maritime patrol ). If the Global Express is chosen, these Aurora replacements will fly very different
missions from the CP-140s. They'd transit much more quickly, fly higher, and likely be
unarmed.[3]
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Raytheon R1 Sentinel /
Bombardier Global Express – Specs
| 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. Bombardier converted C-FBGX to act as the
R1 Sentinel development prototype. Actual systems integration was done at Raytheon's Greenville, Texas facility
but this would not be relevant to a patrol 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).
[3] The suitability of this would depend upon the new mission profile. If emphasis were on higher altitude
surveillance missions, this may work just fine. Maritime patrol demands slower flying at low altitude which would
greatly shorten the range of a Global Express/ Sentinel. A modest armament would be possible –
on wing pylons or in a small bomb bay within a ventral gondola. Neither are small modifications.
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