Jun2019: Nato AWACS officials eyeing B-737 to replace E-3s..

[Stratofreighter]

... no surprise, really :
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fran ... SKCN1TG0C1

[Flyboy]

Give the fact that these AWACS will be flown from European Soil, mostly paid by European taxpayers and that its considered a significant fleet (especially when the French fleet is taken into account when they replace the E-3F) its about time to consider an A330 based AWACS system.
This would create synergy with the MRTT fleet (that France is also operating) and the enormous amount of Euro's would be spend in Europe.

Just a thought...

[michel N]

Which has to be designed from scratch, will take many years en dollars/euro to build. A proven concept like the E-7, which is also a lot smaller and probably cheaper in use, might be the most clever thing to do. Also because the NATO is considering P-8, I assume E-7 makes the best chance for NATO.

[Coati]

, mostly paid by European taxpayers...

Really?
“In 2017, the U.S. accounted for 51.1 percent of NATO’s combined GDP and 71.7 percent of its combined defense expenditure. In short, the U.S. contributed more funds to NATO than Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Canada”

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/03/nato-spending-2017.html

So much for your “fact”.

[Flyboy]

@Coati: I agree, and maybe European politicians could be encouraged to go to the 2% GNP (BBP in dutch) when spend locally... than the balance would be corrected.

However, given the known decisiveness of the europoliticians it won’t work anyway... Airbus missed the opportunity.

Maybe it is my personal frustration that we keep shopping with US manufacturers who are able to create good products, while we in Europe keep on being national protectionists and therefor lack the scale of economy on both R&D and political will. Lets not go there however. On this forum we just enjoy aircraft...

[pjotrtje]

However, given the known decisiveness of the europoliticians it won’t work anyway... Airbus missed the opportunity.

Errr... Defence is a case for country administrations, no European influence there. Further, NATO’s got very limited to do with the EU. The E-3A by the way was a choice of the US Gvmt, not by Boeing. Developing an expensive aircraft like an A330 AWACS (or an A321NX) isn’t something we can ask a manufacturer to do, at it’s own expense.

[Erik_7Xi]

Let's see.... we could purchase an off-the-shelf, proven product that is already in service with various air forces around the world and has matured into a fully operational platform.

Or, we could do this.... AGAIN:

[Buccaneer S.2B]

Yes !! Bring back to the air the mighty Rod !
Or wasn't that the point...........?