AEW Defender
[quote=Jackonicko;2790891]
Who was the AEW Islander/Defender aimed at? Did anyone here have anything to do with its shipboard trials (I've only seen a photo of it on the boat and know no details)?
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Thorn EMI asked me to fly a trial for them on G-TEMI in 1988 when they were developing the ASTOR but also had an interest in AEW. It was the prototype AEW Defender with the Skymaster AEW radar fit, as developed from the Searchwater.
It would be inappropriate to go into all the details of what I can remember but I advised the aircraft could find a sensible AEW market in the Middle East and perhaps Africa where population densities were low compared to UK and Europe. It could still, in all probability.
I believe the system was in effect, although it wasn't on the plot at the time, an early prototype for the Sea King Whisky (now ASaCS) upgrade that took place in the 90s.