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 Sentry

Role Letters & Marks AEW 1

Role 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 44.4M

LENGTH 43.9M

CREW 13 to 20

MAXIMUM SPEED 460kts (853km/h) at 35,000ft

ENGINES Four CFM 56 turbofans

Sentinel R1

Reporting Name Sentinel

Role Letters & Marks R1

Role 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 M

LENGTH 30.3 M

CREW 2 flight crew

3+ mission crew

MAXIMUM SPEED Mach 0.88

ENGINES 2 x RRD BR710 turbofans

Nimrod R1

Reporting Name Nimrod

Role Letters & Marks R1

Role 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 35M

LENGTH 35.86M

CREW 4 flight crew

24 mission crew

MAXIMUM SPEED 500kts (922km/h) at 30,000ft

ENGINES Four Rolls-Royce

Spey turbofans

Reaper

Reporting Name Reaper

Role Letters & Marks N/A

Role 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 20.1M

LENGTH 11M

CREW 2 (Aircraft is operated remotely)

MAXIMUM SPEED 250kts

ENGINES 1 x Honeywell TPE 331-10T Turboprop

HS125 CC3

Reporting Name HS125

Role Letters & Marks CC3

Role 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

WING SPAN 14.33M

LENGTH 15.4M

CREW 3

MAXIMUM SPEED 445kts (825km/h) at 30,00ft

ENGINES Two Garrett TFE 731 Turbofans

BAe 146 CC2

Reporting Name BAe 146

Role Letters & Marks CC2

Role 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

WING SPAN 26.3M

LENGTH 26.1M

CREW 2

MAXIMUM SPEED 339mph at 30,000ft

ENGINES 4 x Avco Lycoming

ALF502 turbofans

Nimrod MR2

Reporting Name Nimrod

Role Letters & Marks MR2

Role Long Range Maritime Patrol/Recon/Search & Rescue

Nimrod 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 35M

LENGTH 38.63M

CREW 12

MAXIMUM SPEED 500kts (922km/h) at 30,000ft

ENGINES Four Rolls-Royce

Spey turbofans