https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/f ... attlespace
Informative piece, though maybe not for those who find the phrase 'warfighter' somewhat irritating...
Current production of the first MESA antenna for the United Kingdom’s AEW&C system.
Current production of the first MESA antenna for the United Kingdom’s AEW&C system.
One can only hope that the RAAF will also get a few extra aircraft on a larger order of the USAFMercator wrote:USAF launches E-3 replacement effort, notes E-7 intent
https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news ... e-7-intent
There is no off the shelf model in the numbers they would want. Boeing would need to restart 737 NG BBJ production.Jdam wrote:Hopefully the UK will get a few more as well.
I wonder if the USAF would accept an off the shelf solution or will they add more equipment to the current model.
I think two mods are reasonably likely:Jdam wrote:I wonder if the USAF would accept an off the shelf solution or will they add more equipment to the current model.
https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/key-e ... nvironmentBoeing, in collaboration with Northrop Grumman, has successfully tested the open mission systems (OMS) approach on the E-7 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) platform.
In collaboration with Northrop Grumman, Boeing recently conducted two flight tests on a test bed aircraft, once again marrying the OMS-compliant battle management command and control (BMC2) system to Northrop Grumman’s advanced, wide-band active electronically scanned array (AESA). This successful airborne test of OMS architecture is a key step in validating the approach and moving the product to fielding.
Rick Greenwell, Boeing chief engineer, aircraft modernization and modification, said, “From an engineering standpoint, executing this OMS test in a relevant environment represents a major step-up in demonstrated readiness. As a company, we are committed to OMS and have demonstrated OMS on defence products such as the T-7A Red Hawk and F-15EX. AEW&C now joins that prestigious Boeing product list.”
Both flight tests saw the AEW&C mission computing, processing and Human-Machine Interface (HMI) hardware mounted on the test aircraft and connected to the Northrop Grumman sensor. Via the HMI, a Boeing operator commanded the sensor to conduct specific activities and then received the sensor data for processing and display.
This comment at the end of this AirForce Mag news article suggests that the line is still open until 2025:tomuk wrote:There is no off the shelf model in the numbers they would want. Boeing would need to restart 737 NG BBJ production.Jdam wrote:Hopefully the UK will get a few more as well.
I wonder if the USAF would accept an off the shelf solution or will they add more equipment to the current model.
There is some urgency to getting a Wedgetail acquisition underway, as Boeing is eyeing an end to 737 Next-Generation—on which the E-7 is based—in the 2025 timeframe, hence the “diminishing manufacturing sources” information request.
https://www.airforcemag.com/air-force-a ... placement/
If USAF and/or NATO production is still going in the late 2020s, it starts to match up with the forecast ADF replacement program. And what better to replace an E-7A than an E-7B. We may even be able to mod our older airframes if they still have hours on them. That would also allow the UK, and others, to catch up with the new baseline.R686 wrote:One can only hope that the RAAF will also get a few extra aircraft on a larger order of the USAFMercator wrote:USAF launches E-3 replacement effort, notes E-7 intent
https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news ... e-7-intent
The NG line has already closed it is the P8 line that is open for now.Mercator wrote:This comment at the end of this AirForce Mag news article suggests that the line is still open until 2025:tomuk wrote:There is no off the shelf model in the numbers they would want. Boeing would need to restart 737 NG BBJ production.Jdam wrote:Hopefully the UK will get a few more as well.
I wonder if the USAF would accept an off the shelf solution or will they add more equipment to the current model.
There is some urgency to getting a Wedgetail acquisition underway, as Boeing is eyeing an end to 737 Next-Generation—on which the E-7 is based—in the 2025 timeframe, hence the “diminishing manufacturing sources” information request.
https://www.airforcemag.com/air-force-a ... placement/