RAF Start Talks on E-3D Replacement
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From: Everett, WA
The Royal Air Force is in favour of buying between four and six planes from the US aerospace giant Boeing at a cost of £2 billion to £3 billion.
There is something to be said for buying 'off the shelf' when practical.
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From: South of the North
Looks like any announcement at Farnborough has used been cancelled.
UK must compete future surveillance aircraft procurement, parliament states
UK must compete future surveillance aircraft procurement, parliament states
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Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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From: Peripatetic
Badly worded headline - the text states the committee chairman has “requested” the government to hold a competitive tender.
The MoD and government has ignored all their other suggestions concerning defence - I see no reason to forecast any change in their attitude.
The MoD and government has ignored all their other suggestions concerning defence - I see no reason to forecast any change in their attitude.
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From: Here
The committee also considers that a competition is particularly appropriate in this case, as there are viable alternatives available, which deserve to be given fair consideration
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From: Lincolnshire
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From: moraira,spain-Norfolk, UK
Nimrod aew3
being on the edges at the time, I recall that a large part of the problem was
the GEC4080 computer, a bit pedestrian for the task. But it was made by GEC.
Lots of better, faster boxes available at the time.
being on the edges at the time, I recall that a large part of the problem was
the GEC4080 computer, a bit pedestrian for the task. But it was made by GEC.
Lots of better, faster boxes available at the time.
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From: Lincolnshire
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From: the heathen lands
is it a replacement for E-3, or just an aeroplane with a radar - coz they aren't the same thing....
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From: Lincolnshire
I have no idea whether it is an E3 replacement or an aeroplane with radar, I was just pointing out what the select committee might think is a viable alternative.
I do know that endurance without refuelling will be significantly greater than wedgetail - and the design work for a probe was completed for Sentinel!
I do know that endurance without refuelling will be significantly greater than wedgetail - and the design work for a probe was completed for Sentinel!
Thread Starter
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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From: Peripatetic
Design work for a probe on aircraft with an underslung canoe is totally different to one for an airframe with a very large radar array on top of the fuselage....
Reading reports the original Saab radar had a maximum range of about 180nm. The new ER version supposedly has a range 70%, but it only flew for the first time this year, so not trusted in service. It apparently has 5 operator positions, but size wise the Shackleton would have been commodious. If I wanted 12+ endurance I’d want a rest area and room for expansion.
Reading reports the original Saab radar had a maximum range of about 180nm. The new ER version supposedly has a range 70%, but it only flew for the first time this year, so not trusted in service. It apparently has 5 operator positions, but size wise the Shackleton would have been commodious. If I wanted 12+ endurance I’d want a rest area and room for expansion.
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From: uk
I have no idea whether it is an E3 replacement or an aeroplane with radar, I was just pointing out what the select committee might think is a viable alternative.
I do know that endurance without refuelling will be significantly greater than wedgetail - and the design work for a probe was completed for Sentinel!
I do know that endurance without refuelling will be significantly greater than wedgetail - and the design work for a probe was completed for Sentinel!
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From: uk
When you say proven mission system, can you qualify that with recent operational experience? I believe the E-7 has been extremely successful during OKRA and recent Red Flag exercises, not sure GlobalEye has participated in anything? Suitable for in-border tasking, but not an expeditionary asset, not enough operators and limited SWAP-C for the upgrades.
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From: Lincolnshire
The plain facts were, with no facility for extra crew or rest facilities provisioned, there was little point in flying for longer than 12 hours on Sentinel.
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From: Lincolnshire
Likewise the Wedgetail! A BBJ, which is a similar airframe but with all the baggage replaced by fuel, cannot get within 1000nm of a Global 6000 - both Wedgetail and Globaleye have similar protuberances. Sentinel Performance is remarkably similar to a standard Global - Globaleye would appear to be more draggy but will also be based around the 99.5 MTOW airframe, rather than the 96k Sentinel.
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From: Lincolnshire
When you say proven mission system, can you qualify that with recent operational experience? I believe the E-7 has been extremely successful during OKRA and recent Red Flag exercises, not sure GlobalEye has participated in anything? Suitable for in-border tasking, but not an expeditionary asset, not enough operators and limited SWAP-C for the upgrades.
Don’t get me wrong, I have no idea how good or bad the Globaleye really is, I was just pointing out what a defence committee could see as a ‘viable alternative’ - at least on paper and probably after representations of the MP for Cambridge!
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From: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
According to a Boscombe Down chap, the Sentinel struggled to meet specification requirements. Fitting a probe would have been the straw that broke the camel's back.
He was also rather dismissive of the Army's idea of letting 'some helicopter corporal' (as he put it) fly as a Sentinel co-pilot.
Boeing E-7A is the obvious choice to replace the E-3D - anyone who thinks otherwise should be forced to study the Nimrod AEW3 saga. Airbus once offered an 'AEW&C' military derivative of the A310, to be developed in partnership with Raytheon E-Systems and ELTA, but it never even made it to the prototype stage. Planned mission duration was to have been 'over 11 hours'.
He was also rather dismissive of the Army's idea of letting 'some helicopter corporal' (as he put it) fly as a Sentinel co-pilot.
Boeing E-7A is the obvious choice to replace the E-3D - anyone who thinks otherwise should be forced to study the Nimrod AEW3 saga. Airbus once offered an 'AEW&C' military derivative of the A310, to be developed in partnership with Raytheon E-Systems and ELTA, but it never even made it to the prototype stage. Planned mission duration was to have been 'over 11 hours'.
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From: Lincolnshire
According to a Boscombe Down chap, the Sentinel struggled to meet specification requirements. Fitting a probe would have been the straw that broke the camel's back.
He was also rather dismissive of the Army's idea of letting 'some helicopter corporal' (as he put it) fly as a Sentinel co-pilot
He was also rather dismissive of the Army's idea of letting 'some helicopter corporal' (as he put it) fly as a Sentinel co-pilot
The only area were the probe may have made it difficult was if it pushed the ZFW towards the limit. However, Bombardier were more than willing to increase the Max ZFW - ‘you just have to ask the question’ was what the designer said to me.
To us, Wedgetail May indeed seem to be the obvious choice. To an MP on a select committee with perhaps less technical knowledge, a UK vested interest and a commercial promise of a similar sounding aircraft for a much lower cost, the choice may be less clear.......