AirForces Monthly – July 2018

persistent support overland, and

it’s in the air for a long while. The

E-3 extends the radar horizon, by

flying forward to act as an airborne

early warning. It has a radar that

reaches more than 100 miles, and

if you can get it out there, it can

work and warn before an attack.”

Although the US is outsourcing

some of its airborne intelligence,

surveillance and reconnaissance

(ISR) work to civilian companies

(see In the Shadows, May

2017, p28-31) the RAF isn’t set

to follow its ally’s lead. “We

wouldn’t outsource capability-

wise. If some of our customers

can’t fulfil enough of their ISTAR

requirements, they would consider

purchasing from elsewhere

to guarantee their needs.”

ISTAR at work

What’s now known as the RAF

ISTAR Force has supported

overseas operations continually

since the first Gulf War in 1990-

91. No 5 (Army Cooperation)
    Squadron flies the Sentinel R1,
    which is officially termed as a
    long-range wide-area battlefield
    surveillance aircraft. The
    medium-sized jet is currently
    based at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus,
    participating in Operation
    Shader – the UK’s contribution to

fighting so-called Islamic State

in Iraq and Syria. The RAF has

not officially acknowledged the

aircraft’s presence in Cyprus,

and Air Cdre Andrew could

not discuss the mission, but

he confirmed its primary focus

is supporting land troops, a

task it is carrying out now.

It isn’t difficult to follow the

Sentinel’s sorties unfolding

through its automatic

dependent surveillance –

broadcast (ADS-B) track.

Using a dual-mode Raytheon

synthetic aperture radar (SAR)

that provides photographic-like

imagery of areas of interest, and

with its moving target indicator

(MTI), the two on-board sensor

operators can track ground

forces and vehicles over wide

areas. In Libya during 2011

the Sentinel operated at the

forward edge of the battle area,

distinguishing between anti-

regime rebels as they clashed

with Muammar Gaddafi’s troops,

Eyes

RAF

Creech AFB, Nevada

The RAF activated No 39 Squadron

at Creech AFB, Nevada, on January

23, 2008. It became the RAF’s first

unmanned aerial vehicle squadron,

although the RAF had been at the

facility as 1115 Flight under the

Combined Joint Predator Task Force,

since 2004. Being completely

embedded into the USAF’s 432nd Wing,

it is involved in all combat, training,

maintenance and mission support

activities. The squadron originally

flew six MQ-9 Reapers, although this

number was reduced after accidents.

In 2012, No 39 Squadron was joined by

a second RPAS unit, No 13 Squadron,

a former Tornado unit, which flew its

first mission in April 2013. Today, both

units provide persistent ISTAR as well

as offensive support in operational

theatres, and have seen service over

Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq and Syria.

ears

Main picture: RAF Sentinel R1 ZJ691 takes off from Nellis

Air Force Base, Nevada, during a Red Flag exercise in 2015.

When deployed, typical Sentinel tasks include overwatch of

ground forces, the detection and tracking of enemy forces,

and interdiction of their supply routes. Jamie Hunter

Below left: Commander of the RAF ISTAR Force, Air Cdre

Dean Andrew. Crown Copyright

Below: A No 39 Squadron Reaper RPAS on approach to

Kandahar Airfi eld following a mission over Afghanistan.

The aircraft is armed with Paveway bombs and Hellfi re

missiles. Crown Copyright

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #364 JULY 2018 // 35

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