Air Power 2017: AWACS upgrades questioned (video)

12th July 2017 - 08:28 GMT | by Grant Turnbull in London

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Billions of pounds allocated to upgrading the Royal Air Force’s ageing fleet of E-3D Sentry aircraft could be better spent purchasing a more advanced off-the-shelf aircraft, a leading industry analyst has argued.

The RAF has begun a long-overdue capability sustainment programme (CSP) for its fleet of six E-3D Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, which is likely to run through to 2025 and will see the aircraft operate for at least another 15 years.

The upgrades will finally bring the UK’s fleet of E-3D’s up to the standard of both the US Air Force’s E-3G and French Air

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Author

Grant Turnbull

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Grant Turnbull was the editor of Land Warfare International and Digital Battlespace magazines with Shephard …

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