Boeing forwaded to NATO the first of fourteen E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft with cockpit enhancements that boosts mission-readiness, reduce customer costs and maintain Boeing’s long-term commitment to the fleet.
The Communication Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) digital flight deck and avionics enhancements make sure compliance with current and future air traffic control and navigation necessities.
Upgrades consists of five full-color glass displays, which give crewmembers with customizable engine, navigation and radar data to improve mission execution. Digital capabilities allow NATO to lessen flight crew size by one, leading to higher productivities and cost savings.
“These improvements allow the removal of airspace restrictions, which saves NATO flight crews time and fuel and supplies operators with easier access to the information they need,” said Wendy Atkinson, Boeing AWACS CNS/ATM program manager.
NATO’s AWACS fleet is the alliance’s first integrated, multinational flying unit, implementing speedy deployment, airborne surveillance and communication for NATO operations.
Thirteen additional NATO AWACS will receive installation of the upgrade as a part of a $257 million modification effort. The second aircraft upgrade is already under way, with the whole fleet slated for completion in 2018.
The modernization has also been installed on a U.S. Air Force AWACS, which is doing extensive flight tests and will deliver in 2017.
“The AWACS program is a vital asset for the NATO alliance and a best practice in transatlantic defense industrial cooperation,” said Brian Moran, vice president, Government Affairs for Boeing in Europe. “Partnering with companies from both sides of the Atlantic helped us get this important capability back in the hands of our customers on time and on budget.”
