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U.S. Customs and Border Protection retires its last P-3AEW Sentinel, ending the type’s airborne drug-smuggling surveillance miss

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CBP has withdrawn the last of its eight Lockheed P-3AEW Sentinel aircraft, ending U.S. government operations of the distinctive radar-dome-equipped P-3 airborne early warning fleet. The agency was the aircraft type’s sole operator, using the platforms to detect and track suspected drug-smuggling aircraft.

Discovered 2026-10-05T10:50:21.418702-07:00 | 2026-10-05T10:50:21.418702-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • The retirement ends CBP’s use of a specialized airborne early warning aircraft for counterdrug surveillance; the agency was the type’s only operator.
  • The reports do not identify a replacement capability or provide details on how CBP will sustain the mission.

Reported By

avionslegendaires.net The War Zone
Sources Tracked
2
First Seen
2026-10-05T10:50:21.418702-07:00
Latest Update
2026-10-05T11:28:08.900263-07:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

Hype groups these reports into one evolving story so you can compare coverage without losing the thread.

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