A Royal Air Force RAF E-3D Sentry early warning aircraft has declared an emergency in the air over Northumberland.
The aircraft was returning from a routine training mission over the Northumberland National Park when the emergency was declared according to the Open Source Intelligence Twitter account SkyWatcher Intel.
SkyWatcher Intel is following the event, if you don’t follow them then I’d suggest you go do that now.
https://twitter.com/skywatcherintel/status/1336680152667983872
*UPDATE*
https://twitter.com/skywatcherintel/status/1336699086569869318
It has been claimed that the aircraft is returning to RAF Waddington due to a hydraulics issue.
Hope to be back on the ground within the hour, understand it's a hydraulic issue.
— Ollie Brake 🇺🇦 (@BrakeOli) December 9, 2020
What is the significance of “Squawking 7700”?
Captain Hoke is a Boeing 757/767 captain for a package express airline and also runs the website AeroSavvy, he had this to say.
“Declaring an emergency means the crew determines they have an “urgency” or “distress” situation. “Urgency” means the crew is concerned about the safety of the flight and needs timely (but not necessarily immediate) assistance. A “distress” condition means that the flight is in serious and/or imminent danger and requires immediate assistance.”.
What does the E-3D Sentry do?
The US designed E-3D Sentry AEW.Mk 1 is an airborne early warning (AEW) and command and control aircraft in British service, but what does that mean?
The Sentry monitors airspace to provide threat detection of adversary aircraft and situational awareness on friendly assets.
Information gathered by the Northrop Grumman APY-2 radar is processed by the mission crew and disseminated via a variety of data links and communication systems. Sentry also has the capability to detect ships, relaying information to maritime aircraft or allied vessels for further investigation. Its electronic support measures equipment enables the E-3D to gather emissions from other radar systems and emitters, enhancing the crew’s understanding of the environment in which it is operating.
You can read more by clicking on the link below.
3 of the 6 to go based on the news today, and Navy Reserve on pause till April at least. Whilst MOD clearly has a black hole that needs filling, does seem that politicians were very keen to crow about the spending boost and are now quietly making these temporary/permanent cuts.
Robert…… everything seems to get cut except the number of MP’s
The RAF have been operating only 3 or 4 E3’s for a long time.
Well maybe it is also a bit of signalling.
“Thank you for the money and we will carry on belt tightening.”
The thing with RN reserves is really odd given how little that must cost and how much depth they add.
Can’t quite work it out TBH.
Load of new recruits in training – classes full to overflowing – and this with the existing guys n girls.
Hmmme something doesn’t make and sense.
Why are all the cuts not announced in Parliament? What other cuts are underway on the QT?