RAF Waddington's Role

RAF Waddington is the UK hub of intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, supporting national and NATO operations.

We use a triad of airborne intelligence systems to achieve our mission. These are the E-3D Sentry, Nimrod R1 and Sentinel R1.

Our area of expertise is known collectively as ISTAR. The role of ISTAR is to provide an electronic 'eye in the sky' to gather information.

Information from our aircraft sensors is then processed into useful knowledge and transmitted to those who need it in a timely fashion.

Ultimately, ISTAR improves a military commander’s awareness of what is happening on the ground or in the air, allowing him to formulate sound plans in an operational environment. It is a powerful tool, indispensable when conducting modern day operations.

RAF Waddington’s Mission

To generate world-class expeditionary ISTAR capabilities.