Originally Posted by
Wensleydale
It is a long historical answer. Back in the 1970s, when the NATO AEW Force was mooted, the force was to consist of all the NATO Nations contributing crews (including UK) with 24 E-3A aircraft based in the UK (base not decided but probably Fairford or Brize). However, discussions/arguements about costings/posts etc led to a delay in the signing of the agreement, and the UK stated that if not signatures were forthcoming then the UK would pull out of the multinational crews and go its own way (we were scrapping the RN Carriers and needed AEW to replace the Shackletons which were a stop gap until modern AEW arrived). The Germans realised that if the UK pulled out then they would get the airbase and associated monies, and so didn't sign. The UK pulled out and a few months later the rest of NATO signed up as well. The UK was to get six E-3A aircraft as the UK Component of the AEW Force and the remaining nations bought 18 E-3As and based them at Geilenkirchen. The UK aircraft would be NATO assigned and tasked as part of the Force..
Then came the politics in the UK. The 1970s was a time of left wing agitation with the Unions trying to run the Country: as a result, the MOD put a tender out for a UK Company to supply the AEW Aircraft for the UK Component rather than buying Boeing (the Gov't knowing that none of the UK companies had any proposals acceptable). Indeed, GEC/Marconi took the funds allocated for the production of the UK AEW Aircraft and rolled out their Comet testbed for the Tornado F2 AI Radar (which didn't work either). Just before the decision was made however(with everyone knowing that we would buy the E-3A), Ted Heath called a snap General Election which he lost. With a weak union dominated Labour Government in power, they were forced to buy British and not American and so the Nimrod AEW3 was born. GEC/Marconi gulped: they didn't have a product but never mind because they were offered a Cost Plus contract: all of the development costs plus profit for the company. In reality, the longer it took to develop the aircraft then the more money the company made.
Long story cut short. We eventually bought the E-3D but was still contractually obliged to be part of the NATO AEW Force. NATO threw a great deal of money at data-link infrastructure for Europe, and so the UK benefited from the deal. We are still contractually obliged to be part of the NAEW Force and so we will buy Wedgetail.
i am sure that is part of the story…..