Raytheon UK will continue to support the UK Royal Air Force's (RAF) Sentinel surveillance aircraft, under a £131.5m deal.

The deal requires the company to provide in-service support and maintenance for the Sentinel aircraft, which has the ability to gather intelligence on enemy movements and track specific targets.

The aircraft uses air to ground search capabilities, by scanning areas from a safe distance to protect the Armed Forces in delivering actionable, accurate information, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement.

UK Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin said: “Sentinel aircraft provide vital intelligence to our Armed Forces, giving them the ability to make decisions that helps keep Britain safe, including on current operations against ISIS.

“As part of our £178bn equipment plan, this contract is supported by a Defence budget that will rise every year until the end of the decade, meeting the Nato commitment to spend 2% of GDP on Defence.

"This new support contract will sustain 160 jobs across the UK and demonstrates the very tangible benefits which Defence is bringing to the nation’s economy."

"This new support contract will sustain 160 jobs across the UK and demonstrates the very tangible benefits which Defence is bringing to the nation’s economy.”

The new five-year contract is expected to sustain around 120 jobs at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire and 40 roles at Hawarden Airfield near Broughton, North Wales.

The aircraft has been used in several operations in Afghanistan and as part of Nato operations in Libya in 2011.

Image: The Sentinel aircraft. Photo: © Crown copyright.