A330 AWACS

[ORAC]

AW&ST: (http://aviationweek.com/awin-only/first-take-april-13-2015)

"India is to equip two Airbus A330s with an indigenously developed airborne early warning and control system, with eventual plans for six aircraft budgeted at 5 billion rupees ($840 million). Boeing did not bid. Airbus will design and certify a 10-meter dia. (33-ft.) radome to house the electronically scanned radar."

[Trackmaster]

Whacko...get ready for the fun. And it should be a long-running show.

[Wensleydale]

Does it have a Pulse Dopiaza radar?

[zetec2]

I guess our foreign aid budget will finance it as well !!!!!!.

[BEagle]

Back in 1997, Airbus Industrie was developing an AEW&C version of the A310 with Raytheon E-Systems and ELTA Electronics Industries Ltd, who would have supplied the electronically scanned array radar. It was planned to have mission duration of over 11 hours:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/a310-1_zpsjlcaf7ru.jpg (http://s14.photobucket.com/user/nw969/media/a310-1_zpsjlcaf7ru.jpg.html)

[Wander00]

not an "R1" version as well was there?

[Grumpy106]

Why bother, they can have ours in a few months after the next Government's SDSR. If Milibland gets in they can probably have a few Trident missiles and subs as well (provided Mrs Sturgeon and her Salmon boss approve).

[P6 Driver]

Spending lots of money on this project will at least give those living in slums and having an open street sewer for a toilet something to look up and marvel at as it flies overhead as they're parking their breakfast.

[Wensleydale]

One wonders whether they will run the crew hierarchy on the Caste system (much like the USAF crew).

[D-IFF_ident]

The airframe certainly has the real estate to accommodate a number of systems. The MRTT could also be further developed for limited AW&C - making it truly Multi-Role. However, I suspect there will be a trade-off between endurance/fuel load and ZFW, an A330 AWACS version may carry a maximum of around 80,000Kgs. That would give it a max unrefuelled flight time of around 12 hours, which seems pretty reasonable.

[PPRuNeUser0139]

Had a look around a newly completed Japanese E-767 (http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/767awacs/) at Boeing Field once.. the amount of unused space inside is staggering.. even with the mission consoles set 4 abreast. Humongous flight deck as well. The wide-body configuration of the 767 offers 50% more floor space and nearly twice the volume of the 707.

[Wensleydale]

SV - more room to bring back red wine from deployments then!

[ShotOne]

I'm sure it'll be a great platform for a radar. A bit big maybe? It'll certainly be able to stay on station as long as anything. I'm also sure that contractually it'll be a big bunfight. On my last Indian trip we shared a hotel with some BAe engineers who had been there four days without receiving the passes to allow them onto base to start fixing their aircraft.

[Rosevidney1]

I'm sure it'll be a great platform for a radar. A bit big maybe? It'll certainly be able to stay on station as long as anything. I'm also sure that contractually it'll be a big bunfight. On my last Indian trip we shared a hotel with some BAe engineers who had been there four days without receiving the passes to allow them onto base to start fixing their aircraft.


It was ever thus as their national 'flair' for bureaucracy is simply staggering.

[glad rag]

I'm sure it'll be a great platform for a radar. A bit big maybe? It'll certainly be able to stay on station as long as anything. I'm also sure that contractually it'll be a big bunfight. On my last Indian trip we shared a hotel with some BAe engineers who had been there four days without receiving the passes to allow them onto base to start fixing their aircraft.

That's because they hadn't finished screwing it back together ...:E

[PPRuNeUser0139]

SV - more room to bring back red wine from deployments then!
More room yes - but still not quite enough!:E

[air pig]

It was ever thus as their national 'flair' for bureaucracy is simply staggering.

Oh yes indeed plus a large dollop of manyana.

[peter we]

Spending lots of money on this project will at least give those living in slums and having an open street sewer for a toilet something to look up and marvel at as it flies overhead as they're parking their breakfast.

Why is racist *** like this allowed in this forum?

India is a the one biggest buyer of military equipment, money that will help pay for the UK forces. Too many of the recipients of UK taxpayers funds seem all to keen to insult the source of those funds, I wish you would grow up.

[NutLoose]

I cannot see anything racist in pointing out the vast majority of the populace live in abject poverty and squalor, while the country choses to spend vast amounts of money in enlarging their defence and space budgets, something that will never lift them out of being a third world country.

[Willard Whyte]

India is a the one biggest buyer of military equipment, money that will help pay for the UK forces

Lately? 17 Hawks, and err, not much else.

The vast majority of military imports are American or Russian. They have also taken to manufacturing their own stuff, dashed cheek if you ask me.

[peter we]

I cannot see anything racist in pointing out the vast majority of the populace live in abject poverty and squalor, while the country choses to spend vast amounts of money in enlarging their defence and space budgets, something that will never lift them out of being a third world country.

The same can be applied to any other country at any point in the past, 150 years ago the UK was no different. One way out of poverty is to develop an economy.
Making their own weapons and building an aerospace industry is one way of building an economy and reducing poverty. Giving the poor money to buy food is not; its Communism.

India needs to spend money on defense because they have had several wars against Pakistan and China since independence, the threat is real.

Lately? 17 Hawks, and err, not much else.

The vast majority of military imports are American or Russian. They have also taken to manufacturing their own stuff, dashed cheek if you ask me.

They have bough a lot more than 17 Hawks, and insulting them isn't going to help. They are getting fed up with Russian kit, one of the reasons is they are not happy is the condescending manner the Russians

[Jet In Vitro]

Would our mushroom aircrew and ABM like to fly on a non-Boeing aircraft. If we joined up with the Indians we could have a more efficient ac to replace our current fleet of very expensive, man power intensive E3s.

[Could be the last?]

Notwithstanding SDSR 15, and the various comments that have been made for the requirement to upgrade and extend the OSD of the E3D - What is the general consensus for a replacement capability?

[BEagle]

A little more information about what Airbus was proposing some 18 years ago:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/AEWampC_zpska66wxcc.png (http://s14.photobucket.com/user/nw969/media/AEWampC_zpska66wxcc.png.html)

The fuselage cross-section is the same as that of the A330, i.e. 222". And the A310 is VERY quiet inside when compared with any of the '707 derivatives.

[West Coast]

Yah, but the "707s" as you put it are paid for. Well, at least our are.

[glad rag]

Shouldn’t that be 720 derivatives?:confused:

[ORAC]

The UK E3D is based on the Boeing 707-320B series airframe.

The KC-135 was based on the 367-80 first flown in 1954. This was widened from 132in to 148in for the 707-120 flown in Dec 1957. The 320B was fitted with extended span wings and an 80in fuselage stretch, first flown in Jan 1962.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_707#Development

Boeing 707-320, 707-420 (http://astonishingengineering.com/transport/aviation/civil-aircraft-of-the-world-by-j-taylor/914-boeing-707-320-707-420.html)

[LowObservable]

A 720 being a shortened and lighter Convair-basher.

[Heathrow Harry]

IIRC they used to leak fuel at every joint................