LONDON, Oct. 28 (UPI) — The U.K. Ministry of Defense on Thursday announced a $159 million deal with Raytheon UK for support on the Sentinel long-range surveillance aircraft.
The deal will provide in-service support and maintenance to meet the Royal Air Force’s operational needs, the ministry said in a statement.
“With the ability to gather intelligence on enemy movements and track specific targets, the Sentinel remains a key element in the U.K.’s operations against Daesh in Syria and Iraq,” the ministry said.
The Sentinel contract is part of a larger $217 billion equipment plan that will be supported by a defense budget increasing annually through the end of the decade, a move that will meet the NATO commitment to spend 2 percent of GDP on defense.
Under the new deal, support will be provided for the next five years at several locations.
The Sentinel utilizes air-to-ground search capabilities and scans areas from a safe distance, delivering surveillance information to the forces.
