UK orderes Wedgetail

combataircraft.keypublishing.com...

The UK has put pen to paper to purchase 5 of these jets.

Single source to get them in quickly but also due to the risk reduction done by the Aussies.

Good decision by the UK for a change.

a reply to: Forensick

2 billion for 5 planes? What a joke.

a reply to: LightSpeedDriver

5 planes crammed with expensive AEW equipment, several years worth of spares and contractor support, and probably industrial offsets for British avionic and aerospace companies, were I to guess.


Just five bare B737's would run half a billion. It's pretty well priced in that light.

originally posted by: LightSpeedDriver
a reply to: Forensick

2 billion for 5 planes? What a joke.

Sorry, but Cessna 152's are not up to the job.

a reply to: schuyler

Pray tell, why would the UK need 5 early warning planes? To warn against whom? The last "war" the UK had was with Argentina over some island thousands of miles away which technically are not "ours". Are they trying to boost Boeing profits and satisfy the war machine?

a reply to: LightSpeedDriver

The E-3D's are frequently deployed in support of other RAF missions abroad (Syria, Libya, Eastern Europe, Baltic, Black Sea). They also perform maritime surveillance with the radar in the proper mode(sort of a big deal for an island country), and have ELINT tools.

It's not as if they decided on buying new ones because the old ones never got used...

a reply to: LightSpeedDriver

If the mission calls for two planes, you don't just buy two planes. Five aircraft allows for one in phase, one in PDM, and one broken, with one deployed and one for training.

It'll be a few years before you see one in PDM, but you will eventually get to where you're pretty constantly rolling one through.

a reply to: LightSpeedDriver

Read the FMS contract when it's published. As pointed out, this includes crew and maintenance training, spare engines and radars, possibly simulators, tech support.... A contract price includes a lot of extras.

originally posted by: LightSpeedDriver
a reply to: schuyler

Pray tell, why would the UK need 5 early warning planes? To warn against whom? The last "war" the UK had was with Argentina over some island thousands of miles away which technically are not "ours". Are they trying to boost Boeing profits and satisfy the war machine?

Boeing is simply supplying the airframe. It's all the electronic goodies that cost the money and isn't that a joint Australian/UK gig? But you're right. Perhaps the UK should save all that money to make welfare payments to all the immigrants.

a reply to: LightSpeedDriver
Seems someones gone fishing.
You may as well apply that logic to fighter or transport aircraft then. Who for example, exactly keeps tabs on the Russians snooping around the North Sea or North Atlantic? I'm sure betting it wont be the Netherlands. I gather the "ours" comment in relation to The Falklands was referring to the UK? It might help if you bother to do some research as there is no "technically' about it, they "are" a UK possession in the same manner as Hawaii is a US state.

E-7's will make a good follow on to the E3D's which are now 30 years old and getting harder to maintain. The resolution on the MESA radar is dramatically better too. Operating costs and reliability will take a big leap in the right directions as well.

a reply to: thebozeian

Especially with the Block 45 E-3 update running into serious problems.

a reply to: Zaphod58
Oh yeah I forgot about that one. The delay in IOC is ridiculous, something like 10-12 years now isn't it?

a reply to: thebozeian

They completely stopped work. They ran into so many problems they suspended installation and testing and are back to engineering work.

a reply to: Zaphod58
Maybe the USAF should seriously consider pulling the plug on the E3 upgrade and do a block buy of E-7's instead? Im surprised in some ways they haven't already taken a serious look at it.

a reply to: thebozeian

Because they're being stupid again. They want to try an E-10 again.

a reply to: thebozeian

Would be 100% in favour of this, especially if they decided for complete commonality to drive everyone's $ down and the bonus interoperability. Am similarly 100% sure it will never happen.

a reply to: RadioRobert

UK didn’t keep up with E-3 upgrades and now cannot upgrade to the latest standard are are fast becoming obsolete.

Hopefully they don’t scrimp on support of this aircraft, Australia has had it less than 10 years and is already performing a massive upgrade to the same standard UK are getting.

A lot has happened in sensors and radars in 10 years though.

I recall the grumpiness from Saab and Airbus that they were not seriously considered. Poor things.

originally posted by: RadioRobert
a reply to: LightSpeedDriver

The E-3D's are frequently deployed in support of other RAF missions abroad (Syria, Libya, Eastern Europe, Baltic, Black Sea). They also perform maritime surveillance with the radar in the proper mode(sort of a big deal for an island country), and have ELINT tools.

It's not as if they decided on buying new ones because the old ones never got used...

I see. Illegal wars with sovereign nations. Roger!