Raytheon Company,
Raytheon delivered the fifth and final Sentinel R Mk 1 aircraft to the U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF) at its base in Waddington. To mark the completed delivery of all Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) equipment and to highlight the capabilities recently demonstrated by the successful recent trials deployment to Afghanistan of ASTOR assets, the U.K. Ministry of Defence (MoD) hosted an event at the base, home to 5 (AC) Squadron, the ASTOR prime customer.
“This is a great day and marks the delivery of a major capability for the U.K. ASTOR was recently trialed in Afghanistan, and has received unanimous support for its impact from forces on the ground,” said U.K. Minister for Defence Equipment & Support Quentin Davies, who attended the event. “I would like to congratulate Raytheon for doing a first-rate job in bringing us this advanced technology. This system will save lives.”
“This is an important day for Raytheon, for 5 (AC) Squadron and for the RAF as a whole; this system is more than just an aircraft, it is a whole new capability,” said Sir Robert Hayman-Joyce, chairman of Raytheon Systems Limited’s (RSL) Board of Directors. “As a soldier, I understand why the Army is impressed. Operational feedback indicates that this system exceeds expectations and that this capability has wide utility value. Raytheon and 5 (AC) Squadron are working on lessons learned from the deployment.”
RSL Chief Executive Brian McKeon said, “the delivery of Sentinel ZJ694 represents the culmination of a major effort across the whole of ‘Team ASTOR.’ The U.K. armed forces now have, in their inventory, the most advanced air-to-ground surveillance system in the world. Raytheon is proud to have been able to supply this cutting edge capability, and stands ready to support all future operations and training.”
Commenting on ASTOR’s role in countering the prevalent Improvised Explosive Device (IED) threat in Afghanistan and other theaters, Officer Commanding 5 (AC) Squadron, Group Captain Harry Kemsley said, “ASTOR has a contribution to make to counter-IED operations, and also other threats such as indirect fire location. ASTOR’s ability to cue or talk to other assets will be vital in such operations.”
Tim Carey, Raytheon's vice president of Intelligence Reconnaissance and Surveillance Systems, said, “ASTOR protects the men and women who are responsible for delivering the U.K.’s peacekeeping, warfighting and homeland security missions. I am extremely proud of what the ASTOR team has achieved collectively to bring this state-of-the-art air-ground surveillance system to operational fruition.”
The ASTOR system includes five Sentinel aircraft, six tactical ground station units, two operational level ground station units, support vehicles, and an extensive support infrastructure. A 10-year contractor logistics support programme sees RSL directly supporting the front line on operations and in training and logistics, including what is known as “Contractor Support to Deployed Operations.”
