Airmanship KnowledgeLearning Outcome 3

Part 3No2 Group Combat Support

Part1

Uncontrolled copy not subject to amendment

Revision 2.00

Airmanship KnowledgeLearning Outcome 3

Part 3

Know the aircraft in service with the Royal Air Force

Contents

– Sentry AEW1– Sentinel R1– Nimrod R1– Reaper– BAE 125 CC3– BAE 146 CC2– Nimrod MR2

• No 2 Group – Combat Support – Part 1

Sentry

Reporting Name SentryRole Letters & Marks AEW 1Role Airborne Early Warning

Sentry AEW1

Sentry AEW1

Sentry AEW1

Sentry AEW1

Sentry AEW1

Sentry AEW 1

• Operates in air and sea surveillance and airborne command-and-control roles.

• Crew of 18, including an 11-man mission control crew.• Flying at 30,000ft it can scan 312 kms at ranges up to

280nmls.• Multi-mode lookdown radar separates targets from

ground and sea clutter.• Transmits information to ground units or ships using

digital data links.

Sentry AEW1 Technical Data

WING SPAN 44.4MLENGTH 43.9MCREW 13 to 20MAXIMUM SPEED 460kts (853km/h) at 35,000ftENGINES Four CFM 56

turbofans

Sentinel R1

Reporting Name SentinelRole Letters & Marks R1Role Reconnaissance

Sentinel R1

Sentinel R1

Sentinel R1

Sentinel R1

Sentinel R1

Sentinel R1

Sentinel R1

• Long-range, battlefield-intelligence airborne radar aircraft for the RAF and the Army.

• Full day or night capability with a radar able to penetrate cloud, rain or smoke.

• Stand-off capability of several hundred kilometres, at altitudes up to 50,000ft.

• Provides high quality, radar ground image and tracks mobile targets.

• Near-real-time, secure data-link transmissions to mobile ground stations.

• Forms one arm of the ISTAR triad of Sentinel R1, Sentry AEW1 and Nimrod R1.

Sentinel R1 Technical Data

WING SPAN 28.65 MLENGTH 30.3 MCREW 2 flight crew

3+ mission crewMAXIMUM SPEED Mach 0.88 ENGINES 2 x RRD BR710 turbofans

Nimrod R1

Reporting Name NimrodRole Letters & Marks R1Role Reconnaissance and

electronic intelligence gathering

Nimrod R1

Nimrod R1

Nimrod R1

Nimrod R1

Nimrod R1

Nimrod R1• Jet-powered reconnaissance and electronic intelligence

gathering aircraft.• Carries a highly sophisticated and sensitive suite of

systems.• Able to transit at high speed and then loiter at lower

speed for long periods.• Endurance of 10 hours, which can be extended by air

refuelling.• Carries two inertial navigation systems and a global

positioning system.

Nimrod R1 Technical Data

WING SPAN 35MLENGTH 35.86MCREW 4 flight crew

24 mission crewMAXIMUM SPEED 500kts (922km/h) at 30,000ftENGINES Four Rolls-Royce

Spey turbofans

Reaper

Reporting Name ReaperRole Letters & Marks N/ARole Reconnaissance / Attack

Reaper

Reaper

Reaper

Reaper• Reaper is a Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS), also

known as an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV)• Roles are long duration reconnaissance and strike• Developed by General Atomics in the US and known as

MQ-9 in US Air Force service• Reaper is operated by 39 Sqn at Creech Air Force Base,

Nevada.• Crew of 2 operate the Reaper and its on-board systems

remotely from Nevada• Weapons include Hellfire missiles and 500lb laser-

guided bombs

Reaper Technical Data

WING SPAN 20.1MLENGTH 11MCREW 2 (Aircraft is operated remotely)MAXIMUM SPEED 250ktsENGINES 1 x Honeywell TPE 331-10T

Turboprop

HS125 CC3

Reporting Name HS125Role Letters & Marks CC3Role VIP Communications

HS125 CC3

HS125 CC3

HS125 CC3

HS125 CC3

HS125 CC3

HS125

HS125 CC3

Operates in the Royal or VIP transport and communication roles.Total of six aircraft, operated by No 32 (The Royal) Squadron, at RAF Northolt.Crew of two pilots, one cabin attendant and up to six passengers.Minimum ground time required to turn the aircraft around after landing.Fitted with a defensive-aids suite to combat infrared missile threats.

HS125 Technical Data

NG SPAN 14.33MNGTH 15.4M

REW 3AXIMUM SPEED 445kts (825km/h) at 30,00ftNGINES Two Garrett TFE

731 Turbofans

BAe 146 CC2

porting Name BAe 146le Letters & Marks CC2le VIP/Communications

BAe 146 CC2

BAe 146 CC2

BAe 146 CC2

BAe 146 CC2

BAe 146 CC2

Operated in the Royal or VVIP transport and communication roles.Wide-bodied aircraft, equipped to promote space and comfort.A strong, rugged aircraft, able to operate from unprepared sites.Four high-bypass ratio turbofans, enabling short-field performance and quiet operation.Fitted with a defensive-aids suite to combat infrared missile threats.

BAe 146 CC2 Technical Data

NG SPAN 26.3MNGTH 26.1M

REW 2AXIMUM SPEED 339mph at 30,000ftNGINES 4 x Avco Lycoming

ALF502 turbofans

Nimrod MR2porting Name Nimrodle Letters & Marks MR2le Long Range

Maritime Patrol/Recon/Search & Rescue

mrod MR2 was withdrawn from service in March 2010

Nimrod MR2

Nimrod MR2

Nimrod MR2

Nimrod MR2

Nimrod MR2

Nimrod MR2

Nimrod MR2

• Nimrod MR2 was withdrawn from service in March 2010• Nimrod was the only jet-powered maritime patrol aircraft

prior to the development of the Boeing P-8A Poseidon.• Roles were anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare and

search and rescue.• Endurance of 10 hours• Crew of 13, which included ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ sensor

coordination teams.• Carried Sting Ray torpedoes, Harpoon antiship missiles,

bombs and depth charges.

Nimrod MR2 Technical Data

WING SPAN 35MLENGTH 38.63MCREW 12MAXIMUM SPEED 500kts (922km/h) at 30,000ftENGINES Four Rolls-Royce

Spey turbofans