The UK defense ministry has offered the remaining aircraft in its Sentinel and Sentry fleets to interested buyers.
The Defence Equipment Sales Authority (DESA) announced on Monday it is seeking interested companies that could potentially receive an invitation to tender (ITT) for the sale.
According to the notice, the offered aircraft are not for reuse and can only be harvested for reusable parts for potential resale.
Interested companies will be able to buy five Sentinel R1 battlefield surveillance and intelligence aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force since 2008. Also for sale are two E-3D Sentry airborne early warning aircraft (more commonly known as AWACS). These aircraft started flying with the Royal Air Force in 1991.
“The Sentry has provided excellent service and intelligence capability to both NATO and the UK since its first operational mission in 1991. The drawdown of Sentry is ongoing,” Jeremy Quin, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence, said responding to a question in the UK parliament recently.
“Since 2017 the fleet has reduced from six airframes to three. As is normal in fleet transition, the numbers of aircraft and crews needed to support frontline operations naturally reduce approaching the formal out of service date. It will continue to deliver this operational capability and the ability to undertake operational tasking all the way to its out of service date.”
