What personnel?

Currently there are 2 crews worth of seedcorn guys who may or may not come home. The first student crew don't start training until late next year. It's going to take a more than a while to work up the 24 crews required.


And to imagine that the Sentinel can be in any way replaced by the GMTI/SAR Lite sets that RPA or Helicopters can carry is pretty fanciful as well.

Why on earth did we not capitalise on improving our AEW&C Sentries? An opportunity completely lost.

A US site is suggesting that they (or NATO...) should pick up the slack - USAF Or NATO Should Snap Up The RAF's Retiring R1 Sentinel Radar Planes - The Drive

IIRC we opted out because it was judged to be too expensive. The idea that it's a good idea to buy into an existing US programme (eg P8) because you can piggyback along on the upgrade cycle works only if you don't do that.

It says the fleet will be scrapped, but presumably they will be sold on (in one form or another).

AP

Cognisant of the numbers Biggus alludes to, the reality is how many SH assets are actually required to lift a 'Strike Bde' or whatever format the Field Army will eventually deploy? And is the ability to deliver that lift with multiple different types currently efficient, or sustainable?

With regards to swapping, enjoy your tents - luxury when you could be digging in!

Back on thread - this ac is not unique in the poor way it and its crew have been managed. As a UOR, sitting on the periphery of a core programme, but without any benefits, has done it and other ISR assets no favours. The bottom line, with the introduction of the P8, and a manpower cap etc etc it is about time we cut our cloth accordingly. I'm sure that those that operate the platform would be sad to see it go, but would enjoy a 'harmony' rate that provided some form of normality with their families!

Not only is the current Chinook-Puma "multiple different types" mix efficient (Puma is a significantly cheaper way to move smaller numbers of people around in) it is critical; there will always be places where you just can't or won't want to get a helicopter the size of a Chinook into, particularly in urban environments where, funnily enough, we are likely to be spending a lot of time in in the future if you believe this.

On topic, it will be sad to see the demise of the Sentinel and its capability however, with SH (2 types), FJ (soon to be 2) and AT (2 eventually?) all rationalising platforms it must be difficult for the ISTAR world to win the argument that you need 5 (soon to be 6) different platforms to deliver the admittedly wide range of capabilities they offer...

IF they do buy them, i hope we get a better deal than we done with the Harriers sold to the U.S Marines!

Selling the Sentinel package will be far from straightforward. I suspect the US DoD will have a direct say on who they let operate the radar system. I'm not sure they will care how much money is offered for it; they would much rather control who gets to see their technology.
A possible outcome will be selling the airframes without the mission radar or system LRUs. A potential purchaser could then procure/install their own package. Several Global Express airframes are now used in a variety of roles by various military outfits. I'm unsure of the waiting time for new airframes.
Apart from the structural modification to fit the underbelly 'canoe', the Sentinel airframes are all very high hours (were and probably are still Global Express fleet leaders) and with a very high ratio of landing cycles. Furthermore, they have been superseded by the Global 6000 with its somewhat better upgraded cockpit.
Notwithstanding the continued problems of mission system reliability, the Global Express airframe was and probably still is the best available for such an ISTAR platform.

I see that as far as many on here are concerned Groundcrew still dont exist! However, many of the ground crew were given Part 66 AMLs to work on these aircraft , and now have a very desirable civil aircraft licence to walk out the door with...with or without sentinel on ops.

(Post #27) Page iii, Conditions of release:-
:cool: :hmm: :ooh:

I once sold three very heavily modified but equipment-stripped AS355s for what seemed a pittance as they had additional brackets, holes, miles of extra wiring (even on a 355) and horrid bumps all over them.
The buyer took them all and did some work on them. They sold them later for a 2000% profit and even the last operator got a great deal out of it.
Dont get caught up in selling the whole package, ITAR bits can be removed.
Sentinels may be worth a lot more as straight airframes if money is important. I remember that, when Laarbruch closed, a local farmer bought a strong cabinet for DM150 in a disposal auction. Inside the cabinet was £6M worth of Harrier test equipment that no-one wanted...

Unfortunately, it may have cost £6 million to purchase but if no one wants it, it is worth scrap metal value , if that!

It's on the open .gov website...

Sorry to hear this 5 Sqn. From one of the ex-Waddo Triad. :ugh: