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5 Sqn Sentinal mapping floods
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Tornados also, it would seem RAF Tornado jet joins flood relief effort - Telegraph
Can't accuse RAF comms of missing a trick. Flooding is the new Global War On Terror. |
Sentinel operating over water..... I wonder how long before someone mentions "MPA"?http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...s/badteeth.gif
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3 minutes...
Jane's Defence Weekly DSEI 2013: Raytheon proposes maritime patrol Sentinel R.1 Copyright © IHS Global Limited, 2013 DSEI 2013: Raytheon proposes maritime patrol Sentinel R.1 Record Infohide Publication:Jane's Defence Weekly Author:Gareth Jennings, London Section: Country:United Kingdom Last posted:2013-09-12 Images:1 image https://janes.ihs.com/ExternalItems/...s/p1420037.jpg1420037The RAF currently fields five Sentinel R.1 aircraft, which Raytheon say can be reconfigured to undertake maritime patrol missions as part of a multirole package. (IHS/Patrick Allen) Raytheon is pitching the Sentinel R.1 stand-off ground surveillance radar aircraft as a possible solution to bridge the UK's maritime patrol capability gap, a company official told IHS Jane's on 12 September. Head of Airborne Solutions for Raytheon UK, Paul Francis, said that the idea of utilising the wide-area surveillance aircraft for maritime patrol has been presented to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and that there has been a favourable response to the concept. However, he conceded that this is wholly dependent on the platform being retained post the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2015. "There is a lot of interest [within the MoD], but bear in mind the current situation [regarding plans to retire the aircraft in 2015]," he said at the 2013 DSEI defence and security exhibition in London. Although the Sentinel's dual-mode ground moving target indicator synthetic aperture radar was designed for, and is wholly geared towards, overland use, Francis explained that it would only require a software change to make it compatible with maritime operations also. These changes should enable the Sentinel to detect surface vessels and potentially submarine periscopes, and additional sensors could be fitted to further boost the platform's maritime surveillance capability. Francis stressed, however, that the Sentinel would not have an offensive anti-surface vessel or anti-submarine capability, and would be purely a maritime surveillance platform. According to Francis, such a multirole platform would be an ideal fit for the UK Royal Air Force (RAF), which has not been able to field a maritime patrol capability since the government retired its Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2 and cancelled its BAE Systems Nimrod MRA.4 replacement in 2010. |
It's not just the amazing technology or unparalleled view from the air that provides such a jaw-dropping capability from a fast jet. The real magic is provided by the Imagery Analysts that can pick-out key information that cannot be replicated by anyone who has not undergone years of training:
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/...d_2821834c.jpg IA Comment: Low lying ground adjacent to river is affected by flood waters. End of Comment. Anyway, the Sentinel article was pretty good.:ok: |
Surely the IA comment should relate to intelligence gleaned from other sources or previous knowledge/experience rather than the straight interpretation of the image.
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I would have thought in the case of flooding there was plenty of HUMINT available........
The only problem being that the EA, local and central government was not willing to listen, and act, on it weeks ago.....:sad::sad::sad: Now that the floods, wx and damage has come to the attention of the PM the powers that be are finally switching from continuous transmit to receive. Still, it does I suppose provide the govt with hopefully a justification to keep such capabilities as Sentinel and RAPTOR......not that I can see the strain on the defence budget being eased in any way. Maybe the CAS can use this to stop the disbanding of 5 Sqn when Op Herrick is complete. MB |
MB,
Maybe the CAS can use this to stop the disbanding of 5 Sqn when Op Herrick is complete The cynic (or should that be realist?) in me might say that is the reason they are being used in the first place, or at least the reason for the high profile BBC coverage.... ......a bit like the E-3D fleet doing their one and only deployment to Afghanistan just before SDSR2010. |
The cynic (or should that be realist?) in me might say that is the reason they are being used in the first place, or at least the reason for the high profile BBC coverage.... |
Unmissable one off opportunity to check for pot plantation loft-space thermal plumes, declared unoccupied residences, tv licences and dodgy tax discs.
I hope that the 5 sqn xmas beer call fund gets a good price for the data. :ok: |
Shame it wasn't a 617 Squadron Tonka - they do have some 'previous'
with large amounts of water.... ..hat, coat, door.... |
PS. apologies for the mis-ident to the 54(R) Sqn guys who seemed to be actually flying the mission.
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Always easier to be cynical or to snipe, but fair play and chapeau to them.
William and Harry lug sandbags in flooded Datchet - ITV News |
It's not just the amazing technology or unparalleled view from the air that provides such a jaw-dropping capability from a fast jet. The real magic is provided by the Imagery Analysts that can pick-out key information that cannot be replicated by anyone who has not undergone years of training: My best guess is that it can't do these things as it was designed with different objectives. If it just takes detailed 2D images without rectification to a datum (e.g. WGS84) then I can't see it being very useful for flood response planning. Lots of good PR for the RAF though! |
JTO. Check your PM's please.
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It's a shame that there are no satellites monitoring the UK....must be the only part of the planet with no coverage.
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This GR4 crew is taking the low level recce requirements a bit far though.
Http://www.echelonwealthcare.co.uk/s...ploads/gr4.bmp |
Are they stalking that panda in the bedroom window? Must've heard about the giraffe...
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"Slightly below glide path ... adjust you're rate if decent" ;)
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Would it be unreasonable to suggest that they should park up their Sentinals and Tornados, jump in a tilly and join in with the boys and girls lugging sandbags around the countryside? That might actually be a useful contribution.
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