The Royal Air Force has found a buyer for three of its recently retired E-3D Sentry aircraft in the Chilean Air Force.
Chile is buying the aircraft as a replacement for the Boeing 707 Condor currently in service, according to a Janes report which cited Chilean Air Force sources.
The report said that the aircraft could be flown to Chile as early as this year, with one of the three bound to be used for spare parts.
The Royal Air Force retired its last E-3D in 2021, with a sundown ceremony on September 30. The fleet, which first entered RAF service in 1991, will be replaced in 2023 by three Boeing E-7 Wedgetails that will operate from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.
During the period between retirement and the Wedgetail becoming operational, the ISTAR requirements will be covered by a combination of other aircraft and E-3s from NATO partners.
The reports of Chile as the customer for the early warning and control aircraft emerged after the UK defense ministry offered the remaining aircraft in its Sentinel and Sentry fleets to interested buyers in 2020.
