This is the aircraft that will be on the frontline in the mission to protect spectators and athletes from terrorism during the Olympics. The Boeing E-3 Sentry has helped the military carry out thousands of missions in war zones across the globe, including Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. But now, this state-of-the art aircraft, is set for a crucial role closer to home, guarding against threats during this summer's London Games. The £179m plane, which features an all-seeing radar housed in the distinctive dome, enables armed forces to find, target and neutralise threats from land, sea or air from hundreds of miles. The RAF operates seven E-3D Sentry aircraft in the airborne surveillance and command-and-control role. The aircraft are based at RAF Waddington, in Lincolnshire, where they are operated by number 8 and 23 Squadrons. Read more: Our Olympic eye in the sky: Inside the RAF's airborne command centre that will guard Britain against terror threat during 2012 Games | Mail Online
Yes, yesterday the local TV station had a typical PR report on this and the role the E-3 / Eurofighter etc. will have in the Olympics. Such a shame no reporter had the savvy to cut through all the BS and ask the Defence Minister why it`s been necessary to strip one E-3 airframe (ZH105) of so many parts for the other aircraft that it will have to be scrapped. It would have been nice if someone had also asked the RAF / MoD or the Defence Minister to explain just what will happen if an aircraft is hijacked leaving a London airport and the hijackers don`t respond to the requests from the "Boys In Blue". Call me a sceptical, but is someone actually suggesting that they`ll shoot down an aircraft over London, thus bringing it down on the population they`re trying to protect? Somehow it all seems like a PR exercise to try and reassure people all will be OK. The reality of what could happen seems far more complex than what "Joe Public" are being told. This is the aircraft that will be on the frontline in the mission to protect spectators and athletes from terrorism during the Olympics. The Boeing E-3 Sentry has helped the military carry out thousands of missions in war zones across the globe, including Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. But now, this state-of-the art aircraft, is set for a crucial role closer to home, guarding against threats during this summer's London Games. The £179m plane, which features an all-seeing radar housed in the distinctive dome, enables armed forces to find, target and neutralise threats from land, sea or air from hundreds of miles. The RAF operates seven E-3D Sentry aircraft in the airborne surveillance and command-and-control role. The aircraft are based at RAF Waddington, in Lincolnshire, where they are operated by number 8 and 23 Squadrons. Read more: Our Olympic eye in the sky: Inside the RAF's airborne command centre that will guard Britain against terror threat during 2012 Games | Mail Online
Vigilance on the ground is more effective than vigilance in the air. One of the key factors in the Japanese attack against Pearl Harbor was aerial photos taken by Japanese "tourists" in the months before the attack. Did anyone consider this activity as suspicious? Given the severity of the attack, I think not.
Nothing new here we've had a Britten Norman spook plane circling overhead for the last seven years or so, especially noticeable after the 'liquid bomb' plot..... It's a bloody hornet's nest 'round here, remember!! From the mad muslims of Alky Da through to the bratki mafia's of the Russians and Ukrainians, Albanian gambling dens, Romanian money laundering, Somali pirate quatermasters... we got it all in East London! Should be a motto for the Olympics What's funny, in todays regulated world? Seven years ago he flew dark, no lights, or sometimes dimmed. These days, most likely to conform to some regulation or another, he has to have the flash green and red wingtip ID lights, lol ... and it was Gareth Williams who, among other things, wrote the surveillance software for the computers that the crew onboard the spook flight are using (flying out of Northolt)
Vigilance on the ground is more effective than vigilance in the air. One of the key factors in the Japanese attack against Pearl Harbor was aerial photos taken by Japanese "tourists" in the months before the attack. Did anyone consider this activity as suspicious? Given the severity of the attack, I think not. A bit contradictory, but ok. Anyway, I don't understand the indignation, everyone was doing exactly that. Meet Sidney Cotton for one ...Because of the lack of photographic reconnaissance during the build up to War and the fact that the RAF's dislike of specialist Units and men, the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) working with the French commissioned the Australian Sidney Cotton to fly clandestine photographic surveillance missions using Cotton's Aircraft Operating Company based at Heston airfield.... From 12 O'Clock High Before the war began they flew clandestine aerial photo reconnaissance flights in North Africa, the Middle East, the Mediterranean area (Including the Dodecanese Islands, Sicily & Italy) and Europe, photographing German & Italian war preparations and military installations. They had also developed a technique for keeping camera lenses defrosted above 8,000'. Cotton owned a color film company called Dufaycolor and was contacted by a Herr Schoene about purchasing the patent rights for the process for German Agfa films (I.G. Faber Industries?), so they could market his film process on their film base. Schoene became the Dufaycolor representative in Germany and it is suspected he worked for German intelligence. He had flown with the Richthofen Flying Circus in WWI with herman Goering and later lost a leg in an air crash in South America. Schoene introduced Cotton & my uncle to Herr Traeder, who was Goering's business manager. All business deals had to be approved by Herman Goering at this time. This gave Cotton & my uncle an excellent cover for their clandestine activities inside Germany. They also photographed Goering's secret underground bunker system while it was being built at Karinhall, from the ground and presented Goering with complimentary photos of his mansion. They were invited to the Frankfurt Air Races in August 1939 and took many high dignitaries for flights in their civilian aircraft, all the while taking secret aerial photos. Dignitaries included Albert Kesselring and the C.O. of Tempelhof Airport, Boetger. Just before the war began they were in Berlin and had invited Goering as a personal guest for a trip to England. The purpose was for a secret meeting for Goering with P.M. Chamberlain and Lord Halifax, to convince Goering (who could hopefully convince Hitler) that England would go to war if Germany invaded Poland. The trip didn't happen and Cotton & my uncle were barely able to escape Germany a day or two before war began. They also flew missions for Ian Fleming (Naval Intelligence) over Ireland to learn if the Germans were constructing secret U-boat pens. May have done some work for Sir William Stevenson (Intrepid), but I'm trying to learn about that. The results of their missions were usually handed over directly to Churchill by them or one of the two female members of their group, who would sometimes accompany them on missions. One was Patricia Conran, Cotton's secretary and girlfriend, and the other was Andrea Johansen, Cotton's cousin, who later married my uncle. They operated the cameras. Quite a story.
