Raytheon Company, Raytheon had a major presence at the recent RAF Waddington International Air Show, with ASTOR Sentinel R Mk 1 aircraft 1# the centrepiece of the flying displays.
Scheduled to take place on June 30th and July 1st, the second day of the Show was cancelled due to the unprecedented bad weather conditions experienced in the region. However, Saturday went ahead as planned, drawing a crowd of thousands of families and aerospace enthusiasts alike.
Raytheon’s ASTOR programme featured prominently at the event. Sentinel R Mk 1 aircraft 1# flew twice – once in the morning as part of the Waddington ISTAR 3-Ship, with the Sentry and Nimrod R in formation, and in the afternoon it made a spectacular flypast with the Red Arrows. When visiting Raytheon’s stand in the exhibition hangar, the general public were particularly interested in the latest ASTOR SAR and MTI imagery shots prominently on display. Outside, No. 5 (AC) Squadron manned a static display of ASTOR ground stations which, despite the rain, also proved a big attraction.
RSL’s presence and participation at the Air Show also demonstrated the company’s commitment to the local community in light of our presence on the base supporting the MoD’s ASTOR capability, which will be operated by No. 5 (AC) Squadron.
Additionally, the Raytheon stand allowed us to showcase for the first time our partnership with the Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance and the charity shared our stand for fundraising activities.
Apart from the general public and the families of those stationed at RAF Waddington, a number of MoD personnel, industry partners (including RSL), and local dignitaries attended the Show and were entertained in the Station Commander’s Pavilion.
Part of the air display commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Falklands Conflict and former prime minister Margaret Thatcher paid a brief visit to the Show to see this and the display stand in the exhibition hangar.
Although the Show was curtailed, it was deemed a success by the organisers and all those who participated.
