I can see why the MOD ran away when the idea of using the Airtanker airframes was proposed - what would the arrangement have been, a leased AEW fleet?
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018...ing-wedgetail/
UK MoD: Other bidders didn’t have a chance against Boeing Wedgetail
LONDON —
A proposal to acquire a fleet of Boeing Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft for the Royal Air Force was so far in advance of a rival Saab/Airbus offering that the British Ministry of Defence felt it would be a waste of time and money
to hold a competition, according to Defence Procurement Minister Stuart Andrew.
“In considering the E-7 Wedgetail , there was such a clear distinction over any other options it was felt that running any type of competition would unnecessarily consume MoD and industry resources, whilst the gap between U.K. capability and the evolving threat would be expected to widen,” Andrew said in a letter to Parliamentary Defence Select Committee Chairman Julian Lewis MP. The letter, dated Nov. 1, but only released Nov. 14, was the MoD’s response to
concerns raised by Saab in a letter to Lewis in mid-October refuting claims by the ministry that marrying the Airbus A330 airframe with the Swedish company’s Erieye radar presented a significant risk...........
In its mid-October letter to Lewis though the Swedish company refuted concerns that its plan to fit two Erieye radars to the A330 to overcome possible wing blanking issues was high risk. The Saab letter said the A330 would be the “lowest risk” of any of the five platforms fitted with Erieye.
The Airbus/Saab solution was based on the use of A330 Voyager aircraft already available to the RAF for inflight refueling and transport duties as part of a long-term private finance initiative deal between Airbus and the MoD.
Fourteen A330s are available to the RAF with nine being used on a regular basis for military duties and the remainder on call as surge capacity when needed. In the meantime the aircraft are available for third-party charter. It was the surge capacity aircraft the Europeans proposed to adapt for AEW duties, possibly replacing them later with new aircraft fitted a boom refueling capability. The current British A330s only have a probe and drogue capability.
Andrew said the AEW role is not compatible with refuelling and transport roles. The procurement minister said additional aircraft would have to be obtained incurring high procurement and operating costs higher than the 737. Andrew’s letter said the MoD had no endorsed requirement for a boom and reopening the private finance initiative deal with Airbus would not be in the MoD or the taxpayers interest........