Date posted: 07/17/2006*

The 2006 Farnborough Air Show is the first international event at which Raytheon’s Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) system has been put on public display. At the show is a Sentinel R Mk 1 aircraft, which carries the system’s dual-mode radar, along with a Tactical Ground Station, to which the sensor imagery is transmitted in near real-time for rapid decision making by the battlefield commander.

On the opening day of the show Raytheon hosted a major press briefing at the ASTOR display, led by ASTOR program manager Justin Monger from Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems. Hosting the briefing were Brian McKeon, Managing Director and President of Raytheon Systems Limited; Robert Crook, Raytheon UK Program Manager; and Maj. Bridget Smyth from the central customer organization. Also present was Tom Kennedy, vice president, Raytheon Integrated Airborne Systems. This is the first time that journalists have had the opportunity to get up close to the ASTOR system and look inside both the aircraft and a ground station.

During the week of the Farnborough Air Show, visitor attendance to the ASTOR exhibit is expected to be high. As well as journalists, foreign delegations, some of whom will hail from countries identified as future potential customers for this technology, will tour the system and be briefed on its capabilities.

ASTOR is an advanced, long-range, ground surveillance system for the U.K. Ministry of Defence, with Raytheon Systems Limited (RSL) serving as the prime contractor.  Raytheon’s Space and Airborne Systems business in the U.S. is also a major participant in this advanced technology program, which draws upon Raytheon’s considerable capability in advanced surveillance radar and systems integration.
 
ASTOR will provide the Royal Air Force and the British Army with a world-class network centric capability and represents a new era in the planning and management of military operations, providing more accurate information and increasing the tempo of the decision making process. The system affords a highly effective 24-hour surveillance and target acquisition capability. It delivers wide-area, all weather surveillance and reconnaissance imagery in near real-time for national, theatre and tactical headquarters.

ASTOR will be fully interoperable with allied surveillance and reconnaissance systems.

At the heart of the ASTOR system is a dual mode Synthetic Aperture Radar/Moving Target Indicator (SAR/MTI) sensor which delivered high-quality imagery from the very beginning of its test flight program late in 2005. The SAR provides high-resolution images while the MTI tracks the movement of hostile forces: their numbers, direction and speed. The imagery, which can be exploited both on board the aircraft and on the ground, is transmitted via secure data links to ground stations at all levels of the command and control chain. By operating at high altitude and at considerable stand-off distances, the radar platform is able to remain over safe territory while providing an excellent “look-down” angle of the target area.

The ASTOR radar platform, the Sentinel R Mk I, is based upon a heavily modified Bombardier Global Express. The system also comprises eight ground stations, six for tactical purposes, which are mounted on Steyr 6x6 improved medium-mobility load carriers, and two Operational Level Ground Stations which consist of interlocking, purpose-built, transportable 20-ft ISO containers.

The first two Sentinel R1 aircraft are now engaged in their extensive test flight programs in the U.S. following modification and integration. The third is the aircraft on display at Farnborough following its modification at RSL’s facility at Broughton in North Wales. Modification of the fourth aircraft is now also well underway, while work on the fifth commences shortly.

Sentinel will be operated by Number 5 (AC) Squadron based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, which houses squadron headquarters, maintenance, support and training facilities. 

As prime contractor, Raytheon is responsible for delivering full capability: hardware, software, infrastructure, training and a comprehensive 10-year Contractor Logistic Support package. RSL has a support team co-located at RAF Waddington that will manage all in-service support issues including modification and post-design support.

Full operational capability of the ASTOR system is scheduled for 2008.

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