UK LOOKS TO AUSTRALIAN PARTNERSHIP
FOR AWACS REPLACEMENT
THE UK MINISTRY of Defence has
conirmed that it is talking with
Boeing and the Royal Australian Air
Force (RAAF) over a plan to purchase
the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early
warning and control (AEW&C)
platform. The news came as three
Royal Air Force crew members,
comprising a pilot, an electronic
support measures operator (ESMO),
and a surveillance and control oicer,
began Wedgetail conversion with the
RAAF at Williamtown in September.Strong rumors over the summer
suggested that the Boeing 737-based
AEW&C aircraft was in line to replace
the Royal Air Force’s ailing E-3D Sentry
leet, but a proposed announcement
at the Farnborough International
Air Show was delayed. In a tweet
on October 3, UK defense secretary
Gavin Williamson said that discussions
were under way with Boeing and the
RAAF. A statement said that the MoD
had conducted a ‘thorough market
analysis and had held discussionswith other providers’, and that the
E-7 Wedgetail ‘represents the best
value for money option for the UK
against need, whilst representing
a signiicant opportunity for
increased defense cooperation
and collaboration with our key ally
Australia.’
It added, ‘Further discussions are set
to take place before any investment
decision is made, as the MoD follows
a stringent approvals process to
ensure the aircraft meets the military
requirement and represents value-
for-money. If selected, UK industry
could be involved signiicantly with
the program, from modiication work
to through life support.’ The MoD
says no formal acquisition will take
place until it’s sure the E-7 meets all
requirements and cost parameters.
The decision to acquire the E-
without an open tender is sure torile other AEW&C manufacturers.
A six-month competition was
envisioned in February 2018, but
with the E-7 being declared as the
only ‘functioning product’, this was
cancelled. Saab has since written
to the House of Commons Defence
Select Committee questioning the
rejection of its proposal for its Erieye
radar system to be mounted on
the Airbus A330. Saab’s GlobalEye,
which is based on the Bombardier
Global 6000 business jet, is also in
development for the United Arab
Emirates and its Erieye radar is said
to be a generational leap ahead in
terms of technology and capability.
However, this solution also appears to
have been rejected by the MoD. ‘Saab,
as the one of the world’s leading
suppliers of airborne surveillance
and air battle management systems,
would enthusiastically pursue an
open competition to replace the
UK’s aging E-3D leet, should the UK
MoD choose to issue a requirement,’ a
company spokesman said.
The MoD says it favors the Wedgetail
because it believes it is a proven andF-35B BuNo 169415 operated by VMFA-
prepares to launch from the deck of the
Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS
Essex (LHD 2) at the start of the Lightning
II’s first combat strike on September 27.
US Navy/MC3 Matthew FreemanF-35B COMBAT DEBUT
‘WAKE ISLAND AVENGERS’ STRIKE IN AFGHANISTAN
An RAAF E-7A Wedgetail at Exercise ‘Red Flag’. Jamie Hunter[NEWS] HEADLINES
06 December 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net