UCAV Sentinel

Sentinel
Faction	NATO
Type	UAV / UCAV
Seats	None
Item capacity	None
Top speed	~ 890 km/h
Service ceiling	~ 11,900 m
Fuel capacity	350 L
Primary armament	Main: 2× GBU-12 LGB [Default]
Secondary armament	Targeting: 1× Laser Designator Defensive: 120× Countermeasures (Flares/Chaff)
Variants	None
Games

The UCAV Sentinel is a carrier-based, ground-attack, fixed-wing Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle that is used exclusively by NATO's naval aviation wings in ArmA 3. It was added as part of the Jets DLC.

With a top speed of 890 km/h (247 m/s), the UCAV Sentinel is currently the fastest unmanned aircraft in the game.

Overview

• Roles:
  • Observation
  • Laser targeting
  • Close air support
  • SEAD

Design

The Sentinel is a tailless, jet-powered stealth drone that uses a blended-wing-body airframe. It is designed primarily to be used for both ground attack and close air support roles.

Armament
It uses an internal weapons bay that has two pylons that support dynamic loadouts, and each pylon (1-2) can be fitted with either one of the following air-to-ground munitions:

• Macer II (2×)
• GBU-12 (1×)
• CBU-85 (1x)
• BL778 (1x)
• AGM-88C HARM (1×)
• GBU SDB (4x)

An integrated laser designator is available and can be used for self-designation in order to guide its own laser guided bombs, or be used to mark targets for friendly forces.

Features
The Sentinel is currently the largest and the fastest UCAV in ArmA 3. While not nearly as agile as the smaller Greyhawk, it's stealthed against radars and can attack hard targets protected behind heavy anti-air defences.

It has a tailhook to assist in performing carrier take offs and landings, and can also have its wings folded to allow for easier storage and transportation aboard carriers.

Notable Traits
Having the smallest RCS signature, the Sentinel is the stealthiest fixed-wing aircraft that can safely fly through even the thickest SAM networks without being seen (electronically).

While it cannot be outfitted with as many HARMs as the non-stealthed variant of the To-201, the Sentinel is on-par in terms of being a deadly SEAD threat to SAM batteries. So as long as the Sentinel has its radar toggled off, it can spot any radar site that activates, fire off a HARM in its direction, and then quickly relocate elsewhere without being spotted even once.

Drawbacks
The Sentinel's only real downside is its lack of variety when it comes to onboard munitions, which makes it far less useful for CAS purposes unlike the Greyhawk (the latter is capable of carrying air-to-air missiles as well as AGMs and LGBs).

Camouflage

• Dark Grey: Pattern-less scheme that uses a dark ghost grey paint colour.
• Dark Grey (Camo): Two-tone dark grey/ghost grey paint scheme designed for low observability.

Stealth

The Sentinel has all-aspect stealth and is incredibly difficult to detect both electronically and visually on all spectrums:

RCS

The Sentinel has a radar cross-section rating of just 0.15. It can only be detected at 15% of an opposing radar's maximum range (an impressive reduction of 85%).

IR

The Sentinel is partially masked against infrared sensors, and can only be spotted at 80% of the sensor's range (factor of 0.8; reduction of 20%).

Visual

The Sentinel's shape makes it slightly more difficult to detect via visual sensors, and can only be tracked at 90% of an opposing sensor's default range (factor of 0.9; reduction of 10%).

Sensors

The Sentinel has an array of sensors designed to allow it operate in ground attack missions:

Active Radar

The active radar has a maximum range of 8 km against aerial targets and 6 km against ground targets. Coverage extends to an azimuth and elevation angle of 60 degrees in both directions.

It has a minimum operating distance of 500 m, while identity recognition locks in at 6 km out from a target. The radar itself also has an elevation offset of 20 degrees.

Infrared Search and Track/Visual Sensor

IRST detection extends out to a maximum range of 4 km against aerial targets and 3 km against ground targets. Targets can be recognised once they get within 4 km range.

Visual detection extends out to 3.5 km for aerial targets and 3 km for ground targets. Identity recognition only registers within a range of 3 km.

Both sensors are located in the Sentinel's targeting camera, have a minimum operating range of 500 m, and have an azimuth coverage of 51 degrees while for elevation it is 37 degrees. Either sensor can only track targets if they are moving at speeds of 180 km/h or less.

Radar Warning Receiver/Passive Radar

The RWR has a 360 degree detection radius and a target recognition range of 12 km.

Laser Spot Tracker

Laser markers and infrared strobes can be tracked within a range of 6 km. It has an acquisition cone of 180 degrees.

Trivia

• The Sentinel is based on the "X-47B" UAV which was developed by Northrop Grumman for the U.S. Navy's now-cancelled Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program.
  • It also bears a resemblance to the X-47B's successor, the "MQ-25A Stingray", which incidentally is also developed by Northrop Grumman for the U.S. Navy's follow-on program to succeed UCLASS, the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Air System (UCAAS).
• The Sentinel's weapon bays are significantly larger than any air-to-ground weapons currently implemented. Despite this size, a rack of two Macer II missiles will visibly clip outside the bay doors.
• It is currently the only fixed-wing jet in ArmA 3 that uses a full blended-wing-body airframe.

Gallery

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External links

• Wikipedia: Northrop Grumman X-47B
• Wikipedia: MQ-25 Stingray

See also

• List of vehicles by top speed (ArmA 3)

Drones of comparable role and configuration

• MQ-4A Greyhawk (Light NATO/Heavy CSAT/AAF counterpart)
• KH-3A Fenghuang (Light CSAT counterpart, ArmA 3: Apex only)