Raytheon Systems Ltd. UK,
BROUGHTON: The first UK-built Sentinel R Mk 1 aircraft for the Ministry of Defence's Airborne Stand Off Radar (ASTOR) programme, yesterday made its maiden flight from Hawarden airfield at Broughton in North Wales. Prime contractor Raytheon Systems Limited (RSL) is undertaking most of the major modification and integration work on the ASTOR system at its Broughton facility.
The ASTOR aircraft, a heavily modified Bombardier Global Express business jet, was crewed by Peter Collins, Head of Flying at Raytheon Broughton and the Raytheon UK ASTOR Project Test Pilot, and Squadron Leader Tim Butler, the RAF ASTOR Project Test Pilot. During the four hour flight the aircraft reached an altitude of 17,000 ft and an indicated speed of 320 knots.
After landing back at Hawarden, Peter Collins reported: “The test flight went extremely well given such an extensive rebuild and complex mission system integration into what is an already highly advanced aircraft in its standard form. We checked all of systems that we planned to on this first functional check flight and the test points showed that aircraft handled little differently from a standard Global Express.” He went on to add, “The standard of workmanship in the aircraft is superb and I salute the whole Broughton ASTOR team, in all their roles, for such an outstanding achievement. This first flight puts Raytheon Broughton firmly on the UK aerospace map.”
Rob Crook, RSL's UK ASTOR programme director, commented, “This flight marks a major milestone in UK industrial participation in this advanced technology programme for the MoD. It is a great example of the high level of competence that RSL has acquired in systems integration capability.”
The aircraft, ZJ 691, is the second Sentinel R Mk 1 to fly. The first, modified and flown at Greenville in Texas, is currently undergoing final integration work there before being delivered to the UK. The ASTOR fleet comprises five aircraft, and like Aircraft No 2 Broughton is responsible for modifying all the remaining aircraft to the ASTOR standard. Conversion of Aircraft 3 and 4 is well advanced, with Aircraft 5 scheduled to enter the conversion process later this year.
Further test flights for this second aircraft are now scheduled over the coming three weeks. It will then go into paint before returning to the hangar for further test and integration of the ASTOR system.
