Cybermac737
2022-04-14 16:42
[Military military sub-plane] Author: Rider of the Pig
According to statistics provided to the US Air Force Magazine, the E-3G early warning aircraft with an average lifespan of 40 years achieved only a 60.65% availability rate in fiscal year 2021, and the availability rate of the older E-3B was even lower. , as low as 55.78%. That means these E-3 fleets are out of mission almost half the time. The E-3 early warning aircraft is based on the ancient Boeing-707 platform. At present, no airline in the world is still using the Boeing 707. The parts and equipment for the maintenance of the Boeing 707 have been discontinued for a long time, and the parts in stock are also seriously insufficient. The last E-3 was built in 1992 and has also been equipped with NATO, France and Saudi Arabia. The RAF retired its last E-3 at the end of 2021.
▲E-3G early warning aircraft has a radar on one side and an IFF antenna on the other.
In the early 2000s, the US Air Force planned to acquire Northrop Grumman's E-10 multi-sensor command and control (MC2A) aircraft, based on the Boeing 767-400 platform. In order to reduce the difficulty of the project, the project is divided into three steps. The first step is to replace the E-8 "Joint Star" ground moving target designation aircraft, augmenting its cruise missile capability with a new radar. The second step is to increase the detection capability of air targets and become a real early warning aircraft. The third step is to add advanced electronic warfare systems to replace the RC-135 "Joint Rivet" electronic reconnaissance aircraft. The E-10 program was cut back in 2006 to become a demonstration program, and in 2007 the Air Force decided to discontinue the program entirely, delaying replacement plans for the E-8 "Joint Star" and E-3, and continuing with technical updates. The only outcome of the project was the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP), which was eventually installed on the E-7.
▲Complete E-10
The USAF's operational reliance on the E-8 "Joint Star" and E-3 also makes it a prime target for strikes. The U.S. Air Force plans to use an advanced battle management system to network all space-based and airborne sensors to prevent a single node from being shot down and losing awareness of the battlefield. However, this system is too complex, which can only be regarded as a future goal, and it is far from meeting this requirement at present. As the E-3 ages, replacement plans are on the agenda.
To address this issue, the Air Force issued a request for comments to Boeing asking Boeing to study and analyze the current E-7A configuration and what additional work is required to be compliant with Air Force standards. Although the Air Force has not indicated that it will acquire the E-7A, the move can be seen as paving the way for the acquisition. The E-7 was developed by Boeing for the export market, using the Boeing 737-700 platform, and did not use the mushroom-shaped rotating radar similar to the E-3, but a large active phased array radar with a balance beam structure. At present, it has been successfully exported to Australia, South Korea and Turkey, and Italy and the United Arab Emirates have proposed purchasing intentions. The fuel consumption of the Boeing 737-700 platform is only one-third of the Boeing 707, the maintenance cost is only 40% of the 707, and the manpower requirement is only 50% of the 707. The availability rate is about 96 percent in countries equipped with the E-7. The airline industry operates a large number of Boeing 737s, with one taking off every five seconds on average.
▲ The E-7 of the Australian Air Force
In addition to a more advanced and reliable platform, the E-7's balance beam radar also has unique advantages over the E-3. The E-3's radar only rotates once every 7 to 9 seconds, but the scanning time of the E-7's active phased array radar can be set from 3 seconds to 40 seconds. This is especially important for the detection and defense of highly maneuverable targets, which are necessary to deal with modern threats. In order to overcome the blind spot before and after the "balance beam" radar, the E-7 has 2 small radars at the front and rear ends of the radar to provide a 60° front and rear field of view, thereby achieving 360° coverage.
▲ The E-7 and F-15K of the South Korean Air Force, the South Korean Air Force has 4 E-7s
Senior Air Force leaders have said there is no viable alternative to the E-7 Wedgetail. While Northrop Grumman's E-2D is in service with the Navy, and the Navy is happy with it, the turboprop-powered E-2D doesn't have the speed and altitude required by the Air Force, as does the Swedish Aireye. In January, an Australian E-7 took part in Exercise Red Flag at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and the U.S. Air Force was impressed with the E-7's long-range command and control capabilities. The E-7's greatest strength, though, is that it's still in production, and Boeing's 737NG series line runs through 2025. NATO has also considered purchasing E-7s to replace the current 14 E-3 early warning aircraft. But NATO has decided that Airbus will extend the life of NATO's NE-3A until at least 2035.
The E-7 also has a problem, that is, it is not compatible with the data link of the fifth-generation F-22 and F-35 fighter jets. Australia and Boeing are working together to make the E-7 compatible with Australia's F-35, F/A-18 and P-8 patrol aircraft. The current E-7 is not an open-architecture platform, and there will be greater difficulties in future upgrades. Boeing is developing an open mission system to meet future needs.
Boeing 737 AEW&C Wedgetail: Details
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