Airbus appeared keen to get involved in
the project, a spokesperson telling AFM:
“As the biggest supplier of large aircraft
to the Royal Air Force, Airbus would
welcome a competition to present a market-
leading and cost-effective solution for the
RAF’s future AWACS requirements.
“Building on our successful experience in
converting commercial aircraft into the world’s
market-leading tanker, Airbus is working on
further opportunities to use both the A330 and
A320 as the basis for new mission aircraft.”
The company is also reportedly offering
to reuse some of the A330 Voyager
aircraft that are part of the RAF’s non-
core Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA)
fleet to further reduce airframe costs.
A number of contenders pitched their products
to the UK during this summer’s Farnborough
International Airshow. A spokesman for Saab,
which offered a variant of the Erieye AEW&C
system, told AFM: “We would welcome
an open and transparent competition.”
The Swedish company was previously linked
to a proposal to mount its Erieye systems
on an A330 platform – the spokesman
confirming this was still a possibility, adding
that the “size of aircraft is not an issue for
us. We are extremely competitive, and we
have the latest generation technology.”
Meanwhile, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)
and its Elta radar subsidiary told AFM they were
offering the UK a variant of their Conformal
Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) aircraft, based
on the Gulfstream G550 platform, which is in
Israeli Air Force service as the Nachshon Eitam.
An IAI spokesman added: “Our off-the-shelf
solution will meet the UK’s requirement but save
the UK taxpayer a lot of money. We have twotimes [the] cost performance ratio [over other
products]. You want best value for your money.”
Boeing declined to comment when
approached by AFM at Farnborough.October surprise
Events now moved quickly. The fate of the
E-3D replacement was one of the first decisions
to be made as the UK government tried to
finalise its MDP. The Secretary of State for
Defence, Gavin Williamson, made it a high
priority and allowed news of the decision to
be announced ahead of the formal release of
the rest of the MDP. As AFM went to press
this document had not been published.
Williamson backed senior RAF officers pushing
for new aircraft and quickly agreed that the
E-3Ds needed replacing as soon as possible.
He also now concurred with recommendations
from RAF leadership that buying the Australian
E-7A Wedgetail would meet the requirement.
His department announced on October 3
that further discussions are set to take place
before any investment decision is made, as
it “follows a stringent approvals process toensure the [E-7] aircraft meets the military
requirement and represents value for money.
If selected, UK industry could be involved
significantly with the programme, from
modification work to through life support.”
Williamson described the Wedgetail as “the
stand-out performer in our pursuit of a new
battlespace surveillance aircraft [and it] has
already proved itself in Iraq and Syria. Running
air operations from the sky, it could be an
excellent asset for the RAF and give us a real
edge in this increasingly complex world.
“Our future with Australia will already see
us operate the same maritime patrol aircraft,
world-class Type 26 warships and supersonic
F-35 jets. Wedgetail may join that formidable
armoury and help us work together to take
on the global threats that we both face.”
The MOD added: “Following market analysis
and discussions with other potential providers,
[we have] concluded that the potential
procurement of the E-7 represents the best
value for money option for the UK against need,
whilst representing a significant opportunity
for increased defence co-operation and
collaboration with our key ally Australia.”
The ministry also said it will work closely with
Boeing to ensure Britain’s leading defence
industry could benefit from any deal too: “It’s a
proven and reliable aircraft that’s been in service
with the Royal Australian Air Force for some
time, with potential to considerably reduce
the risk normally associated with acquiring
a complex new platform of this nature.”
Days after the announcement, senior RAF
officers told AFM they strongly backed the
Wedgetail decision on the grounds that it
represented a low risk/off-the-shelf solution
that could be rapidly brought into service.
Less than two weeks after the MOD’s
announcement, the House of Commons
Defence Committee released a bombshell
letter from Saab’s head in the UK,Right: An RAF Typhoon pilot’s view of a Tu-95MS bomber photographed during a quick reaction alert
mission from RAF Leuchars in Scotland. The resurgence of long-range missions by Russian bombers
has highlighted the central role of the AWACS in air operations at home. Crown Copyright
Below: Sundown for the Sentry: the E-3D line at RAF Waddington near Lincoln, with four No 8
Squadron aircraft on the apron while a fifth Sentry lands on the runway nearby. Crown CopyrightRAF 100
72 // DECEMBER 2018 #369 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com