84 RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION PATROLLERS AND AIRLIFTERS
BOEING
E-3D SEN
1991 TO PRESENT
I
n the post-Falklands years, it
became apparent the RAF was in
desperate need of a long-range
airborne early warning (AEW)
and airborne warning and control
system (AWACS) aircraft, to
replace the handful of ageing Avro
Shackletons that were stretched
beyond their capabilities.
Significant time, effort and
expense was invested in converting
the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod
into a viable AEW platform, but
the programme was cancelled in
December 1986.
The Nimrod AEW.3 had been
due to enter service as early as 1982
but delays, cost overruns and an
inability to meet the Air Staff ’s
performance requirements led to the
MoD’s decision to order the proven
Boeing E-3. Based on the Boeing
707 airframe, it had a large rotating
‘rotodome’ radar antenna mounted
on struts atop the fuselage; it had
been in USAF service since 1977
and flown with NATO since 1983.MODIFICATIONS
USAF E-3A versions were fitted
with TF 33 turbofans, but the
RAF opted for the E-3D variant
with General Electric CFM-56
powerplants in enlarged cowlings.
British examples, dubbed the
Sentry, also differed from their
American equivalents in having
‘Yellow Gate’ electronic surveillance
measures pods on the wingtips, and
an inflight refuelling probe atop
the cockpit.
In service the Sentry carries nine
multi-purpose console screens
and a data-processing centre. The
aircraft monitors airspace to detect
adversary aircraft and providesituational awareness on friendly
assets. Information gathered by the
Northrop Grumman APY-2 radar is
processed by the mission crew and
disseminated via a variety of data
links and communication systems.
Sentry also has the capability to
detect ships, relaying information to
maritime aircraft or allied vessels for
further investigation.8 SQUADRON
The RAF ordered seven E-3D
airframes, the first of which entered
service with 8 Squadron at RAF
Waddington, Lincolnshire in
July 1991. By August 1992 the
aircraft were declared operational1918 2018Right
ZH101 was the fi rst
Sentry to be delivered
to the RAF. The jet fi rst
fl ew on November 9,
1989 and was delivered
to RAF Waddington a
year later, on November
2, 1990. ANDY HAY/WWW.
FLYINGART.CO.UKBelow
Sentry AEW.1 ZH102 fi rst
fl ew on March 15, 1990
and was delivered to
8 Squadron on March
25, 1991. It is seen here
during a training sortie
from RAF Waddington in- CROWN COPYRIGHT/
SAC ANDY HOLMES