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Two radars mounted fore and aft is fine.
It's when you have one radar in the middle, connected to the nose and tail by waveguides like tree-roots.... https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmf...64d0f68d7a.jpg |
Nimrod AEW3
You could track an SR71 taking off from an USAF airfield in the east of England or was it that ice cream van, sorry DJ. |
Hmm, competition. What serious rivals to the Wedgetail are there? Saab-Ericsson, IAI and Boeing E767. Or vapourware from Airbus, with attendant R&D risks
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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. |
Looks like any announcement at Farnborough has used been cancelled.
UK must compete future surveillance aircraft procurement, parliament states |
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 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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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. |
RAAF E-7A has worked real fine in the ME for a number of years. Considered by the Yanks to be a top piece of kit. One did a 14.3hr mission recently. Stick that in your E-3D hat!
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Originally Posted by Davef68
(Post 10188278)
I wonder what they consider 'viable alternatives' ?
Proven mission system - tick Commonality with Sentinel - tick Multi-role - tick UK jobs (built by marshalls) - tick |
Originally Posted by DCThumb
(Post 10189355)
Saab Globaleye?
Proven mission system - tick Commonality with Sentinel - tick Multi-role - tick UK jobs (built by marshalls) - tick is it a replacement for E-3, or just an aeroplane with a radar - coz they aren't the same thing.... |
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! |
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. |
Originally Posted by DCThumb
(Post 10189355)
Saab Globaleye?
Proven mission system - tick Commonality with Sentinel - tick Multi-role - tick UK jobs (built by marshalls) - tick |
Whilst design work for a probe on Sentinel was completed my understanding is that the fitting of a probe was considered high risk and Sentinel entered into service without an AAR capability.
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Originally Posted by DCThumb
(Post 10189428)
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! |
Originally Posted by DCThumb
(Post 10189355)
Saab Globaleye?
Proven mission system - tick Commonality with Sentinel - tick Multi-role - tick UK jobs (built by marshalls) - tick 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. |
Originally Posted by caped crusader
(Post 10189711)
Whilst design work for a probe on Sentinel was completed my understanding is that the fitting of a probe was considered high risk and Sentinel entered into service without an AAR capability.
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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