Airforces Monthly - February 2017

Brita
Tim Ripley looks at
the current status
of the RAF’s ISTAR
(Information, Surveillance,
Target Acquisition and
Reconnaissance) Force, its
present operations and its
future prospects.
UNITED KINGDOM: ISTAR REVIEW
The Sentinel R1 is a target for retirement despite its
impressive service record in recent years. Kevin Bell
“The exact configuration of the British RC-135s is highly
classified, but the RAF says its aircraft are “equipped
with a variety of sensors, allowing its multi-disciplined
crew to intercept and exploit emissions across the
electromagnetic spectrum, providing both strategic
and tactical level intelligence.”
BRITAIN’S FORMER Prime Minister David
Cameron famously described the RAF’s
Raytheon Sentinel R1 as his ‘go-to
aircraft’. In recent years, whenever there was
a crisis, the airborne stand-off radar platform
would be first to deploy. Invariably the initial
reports from the Sentinel crews would find
their way onto the Prime Minister’s desk.
In a confused and uncertain world, securing
precise intelligence on an unfolding crisis
is a high priority for top-level UK political
and military decision-makers. Only
once they know what is actually going
on in an operational theatre will British
government ministers commit combat
forces or authorise the use of lethal force.
36 FEBRUARY 2017 #347 www.airforcesmonthly.com