E3 Sentry

[bizflyer]

My son asked me about this last night and I wondered if anyone can shed light.

The E3 is based on the 707-300 airframe? Are the RAF aircraft new builds or converted former airliners? Is there anywhere he can find out more about the numbers bought and the story of the RAF E3's vs Nimrod AEW for an essay?

Many thanks

[normally left blank]

Suggest to go to the Boeing site

http://www.boeing.com/flash.html

There is a small "search" window on the front page. Put in "E-3D"
- and search:

7 delivered. Built from new. (The NATO E-3A's certainly were). The AWACS was the last built 707's? (I didn't read it all)

The Nimrod AEW story is not for me to "stir up" :{

Best regards

[Ginger Beer]

Ours were just about the last off the production line at the tail end of the 80's.

They were part of an order of 11 AWACS with CFM 56 engines and a few other toys. 7 went to Waddo as E3-Ds, 3 to France as E3-Fs and another to Saudi I believe.

The Nimrod AEW debacle cost a billion sterling before being scrapped, it only cost us that for 7 new E3s so, we could have had 14 or halved our input.

Quite topical at the moment really, do you think that the suits have learnt by their mistakes?

GB

[Arclite01]

oh come on ! - what do you think.........

Lets just add it to a long list of procurement disasters like:

TSR2 cancellation
Harrier contractual cock up
SA-80
LAW80
Trigat
Nimrod AEW
Chinook upgrade
Tornado MLU
Desert clothing sold to Iraq pre-GW1

the list is endless - just think what we could have had.........

[Heimdall]

Bizflyer

I could find very little on the Net about the Nimrod AEW farce when I tried searching. However, if you visit my website at www.spyflight.co.uk and have a look at the Cancelled section you'll find my version of the Nimrod AEW saga. I don't know the full story of why certain decision were made, I suspect very few people actually do, but until the full facts are eventually made public there's surprisingly little to go on.

Heimdall

[Magic Mushroom]

All E-3 variants were new build aircraft rather than converted ex-airliners (as is the case with the E-8C JSTARS) based upon the Boeing 707-320C airframe. Primary mods common to all are a strengthened cabin floor and rear fuselage to accommodate the mission systems and rotodome respectively, and provision for boom (all variants) and probe and drogue (E-3D and F) AAR.

Saudi E-3A's, RAF E-3D's and French E-3F's have CFM 56 engines. A total of 68 E-3 variants were built: 34 USAF E-3B/C's(upgraded from E-3A's and one subsequent lost in a fatal crash due to birdstrike in Alaska, Sep 95), 18 NATO E-3A's (one lost due to aborted takeoff post V1 due to incorrect diagnosis of birdstrike in Greece, 96), 5 Saudi E-3A's, 7 RAF E-3D's and 4 French E-3F's. The RAF and French jets were purchased in a joint contract, and I believe that the last RAF jet, ZH107, was the last 707 ever off the production line.

All variants differ considerably in detail, particularly regarding comms fit, console numbers, ESM system (if any), software and several other 'national' toys.

The Saudi's also bought several 'KE-3A's' but these are pure AAR aircraft and have no sensor fit. After the RAF jets, AWACS was marketed on the 767 airframe and Japan purchased 4 'E-767's'. These have the same basic APY-2 radar and APX-103 IFF sensors as most other E-3 variants, but it lacks AAR capabilities.

Regards,
M2

[Mystic Greg]

Hello, Magic Mushroom. I knew you would beat me to it with an erudite and detailed response to this question!

[Magic Mushroom]

Mystic Greg,
Actually, I was quite impressed; it normally takes you longer than 20 mins to catch up with my thought processes!
No wonder you never got selected for an upgrade!!!
Regards,
M2
:D :D :D :D :D

[The Gorilla]

MM

Couldn't agree more!!

:O :O :O

[normally left blank]

There are pictures (link) of the NATO E-3 that aborted in Greece at

http://www.aviationpics.de/military/1999/military.htm

(and some other unusual military aircraft pictures :ok: )

Best regards

[round&round]

MM

I don't care what anyone says.

I think that your concise and prosaic explanation of international E-3 procurement proves once and for all that you are indeed a very sad and lonely spotter!!

regards,

R&R

[The Gorilla]

RnR

Your are incorrect sir.

MM is not a "very sad and lonely spotter!!"

I will have you know that the E3 fleet is full of spotters and therefore MM is, in fact, in good company!!



:p