Page 28 - Aviation News - September 2017

SHACKLETON

AEW.2

COLD WAR ‘SENTINEL’

Group Captain David Greenway (ret’d), a former Shackleton
pilot and commanding offi cer of 8 Squadron, talks to Dr Kevin

Wright about the Shackleton AEW.2 in RAF service.

hen the Avro Shackleton AEW.2 Repeated economic crises led to defence Former Shackleton pilot and Officer
entered service with 8 Squadron reviews, and major budget reductions resulted Commanding 8 Squadron, Group Captain
on April 11, 1972, most were in Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s 1967 decision David Greenway (ret’d) told Aviation News:
Walready 20 years old and had to withdraw British forces from ‘east of Suez’ “The RAF wanted the E-3 Airborne Warning
been on the verge of retirement from the and phase out the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers. and Control System (AWACS) from day one
RAF. Intended only as an ‘interim solution’, The Fleet Air Arm’s (FAA’s) organic carrier- but the government decided we should have
it would be another 19 years before their based AEW capability, provided by its Fairey the Nimrod AEW, mainly as a way of keeping
replacement, the Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW1, Gannets, shrank – but the navy still needed jobs and industrial capacity within the UK.”
nally began work – following the Nimrod AEW coverage for the Fleet. Maritime Nimrods had recently replaced
development asco. the Shackleton, but several MR.2 versions with
The need for a land-based airborne early MINIMAL COST sufficient remaining fatigue life were selected
warning (AEW) aircraft emerged as the The RAF was handed the task and, from for conversion to the AEW role – WL745
effects of continually shrinking British defence 1969, planning for the ‘new’ role began. It becoming, in effect, the prototype AEW.2, rst
budgets in the 1960s rippled out. also had to be achieved at minimal cost. ying in its new form on September 30, 1971.

28 Aviation News incorporating Jets September 2017

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