Slater Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 It does seem a shame: Britain has one last contract for its Sentinel spy planes: Breaking them up (defensenews.com) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blimpyboy Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 Well, it’s lucky the UK isn’t going to curtail it’s Wedgetail order, isn’t it? 😛 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supertom Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 Wait, what? Aren't the Sentinels fairly new aircraft? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 It's a bit a shame that NATO can't pool those assets which are neccesssary, but only few are needed, therefore no single air force can operate them on a reasonnable scale. They pooled the old Awacs, the tanker, transport capabilities and there is no room for a fleet of 5 biz jets? Missed opportunity, in my eyes. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blimpyboy Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 (edited) Sadly typical, I feel. Run the enablers down and then rely on someone else for the necessary support - as long as that someone remains willing and able... I s’pose you can’t ignore timely reconnaissance if you don’t have it to begin with. Problem solved. Edited December 28, 2020 by Blimpyboy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junglierating Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 I'm sure there is a bigger picture but it does seem odd but I know that for some reason the powers at be have been trying to get rid of them I wonder if there will be a replaced? Increase in defence spending they said...hmmm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 They’ve had one stay of execution already. I wonder whether like the kit on the Sentry, it’s not been updated and so is ‘outdated’. Another capability gap until Wedgetail comes online or are the Poseidon’s able to do the same job? I agree that maybe handing them over to NATO is a missed opportunity. Trevor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junglierating Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 19 minutes ago, Max Headroom said: They’ve had one stay of execution already. I wonder whether like the kit on the Sentry, it’s not been updated and so is ‘outdated’. Another capability gap until Wedgetail comes online or are the Poseidon’s able to do the same job? I agree that maybe handing them over to NATO is a missed opportunity. Trevor I would say the Poseidon and wedgy will be busy in their own roles ....not much slack in airframe numbers...still if it needs to be cuffed the UK can it's one of the things we can do ....make do and mend 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 I read somewhere that the increase was to concentrate on cyber warfare, so maybe hardware is being sacrificed. Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EwenS Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 4 hours ago, Supertom said: Wait, what? Aren't the Sentinels fairly new aircraft? That is a sign of old age! First flew 2004. First operational sortie 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitewolf Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 (edited) The RAF is pushing for more P8s, additional airframes could be fitted with a pod and fulfil the role of the Sentinnel. Edited December 28, 2020 by Whitewolf Spelling error 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filler Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 I’d say that does make them fairly new in military service terms. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 According to the RAF website "The most advanced long-range, airborne-surveillance system of its kind in the world.".................. so we bin it. I recall it's mission (CASTOR) (Can Anyone State The Operational Requirement?) People have been gunning for this since before it went operational: A bit like our Colonial blue suiters trying to kill the Warthog. The best piece of kit, so lets scrap it for something semi useless in the role. Time the decision makers got put in uniform and did a spell on the front line! 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scimitar F1 Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 In short like in so many other areas of defence we have given up. We will soon have less than 150 tanks total and the list goes on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitewolf Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 24 minutes ago, Scimitar F1 said: In short like in so many other areas of defence we have given up. We will soon have less than 150 tanks total and the list goes on. A P8 Posiedon fitted with an AAS pod can do the job of the Sentinnel. We just need 4 or 5 additional P8 airframes fitted with the pod. It makes sense to retire Sentinnel and replace it with the modified P8. Cost savings through airframe commonality come to mind! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 2 hours ago, EwenS said: That is a sign of old age! First flew 2004. First operational sortie 2008. Which makes the P-8 (or "P8" as it now seems to be called) younger by just four years. And based on an airframe design which is a great deal older.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blimpyboy Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 8 hours ago, Whitewolf said: We just need 4 or 5 additional P8 airframes Good point about the P-8/pod - one can only hope the Govt. will bite the bullet and spring for extra jets. Otherwise, stay tuned for availability and resource stretch issues (something we seem to have gotten used to...). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slater Posted December 28, 2020 Author Share Posted December 28, 2020 It would seem that a 737 airframe would have room for a significant amount of ISR gear, if one could dedicate an airframe to that specific role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blimpyboy Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 (edited) Meanwhile, in Australia, the opposite seems to be unfolding, despite the presence of the P-8 (and soon, also the Reaper and Triton) - admittedly, the Peregrine is intended mostly for EW-based operations: https://australianaviation.com.au/2019/03/raaf-to-get-four-modified-gulfstream-g550s-for-electronic-warfare-support/ Edited December 29, 2020 by Blimpyboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitewolf Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 4 hours ago, Blimpyboy said: Meanwhile, in Australia, the opposite seems to be unfolding, despite the presence of the P-8 (and soon, also the Reaper and Triton) - admittedly, the Peregrine is intended mostly for EW-based operations: https://australianaviation.com.au/2019/03/raaf-to-get-four-modified-gulfstream-g550s-for-electronic-warfare-support/ It has to be said that the Aussies are really pulling their finger out when it comes to updating and acquiring new military capabilities. The UK really needs to concentrate on doing the same at a brisk pace. We are moving in the right direction with Carriers/F35B, Type 26 , E7 and P8, but Killing off the Sentinnels without replacement will have an adverse effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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