【Military Sub-Plane】Author: Riding Pig Knight
According to statistics provided to the U.S. Air Force Magazine, the E-3G AWACS aircraft with an average lifespan of 40 years has achieved only a 60.65% proper rate in fiscal 2021, and the older E-3B has a lower proper rate of 55.78%. This means that almost half of these E-3 fleets are unable to perform missions. The E-3 AWACS is based on the ancient Boeing-707 platform, and no airline in the world is still using the Boeing 707, the parts and equipment for repairing the Boeing 707 have long been discontinued, and the spare parts in stock are also seriously insufficient. The last E-3 was built in 1992 and also equipped with NATO, France and Saudi Arabia. The RAF retired its last E-3 at the end of 2021.
▲The disk of the E-3G early warning aircraft is radar on one side and the antenna for identifying friend or foe on the other
In the early 2000s, the U.S. Air Force planned to purchase Nordg E-10 Multi-Sensor Command and Control (MC2A) aircraft using the Boeing 767-400 platform. In order to reduce the difficulty of the project, the project was divided into three steps. The first step is to replace the E-8 Union Star ground-moving target instruction aircraft, enhancing its ability to launch cruise missiles with new radars. The second step is to increase the ability to detect air targets and become a real early warning aircraft. The third step is to add an advanced electronic warfare system to replace the RC-135 "Joint Rivet" electronic reconnaissance aircraft. In 2006, the E-10 program was reduced to become a demonstration project, and in 2007 the Air Force decided to discontinue the project altogether, postponing the replacement of the E-8 "Joint Star" and the E-3 and continuing to update its technology. The only outcome of the project was the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP), which was eventually installed on the E-7.
▲Complete E-10
The U.S. Air Force's operational and reliance on the E-8 Union Star and E-3 also make it a prime target for strikes. The Air Force plans to use an advanced combat management system to connect all space-based and airborne sensors into a single network to avoid a single node being shot down and losing its sense of the battlefield. But the system is too complex, which can only be regarded as a future goal, and it is far from meeting this requirement at present. As the E-3 ages, replacement plans are on the agenda.
To address this, the Air Force issued a request for comments to Boeing asking it to study and analyze the current E-7A configuration and what additional work is needed to be compatible with Air Force standards. Although the Air Force has not offered to procure the E-7A, the move can be seen as paving the way for procurement. The E-7 was developed by Boeing for export markets, using the Boeing 737-700 platform, and instead of a mushroom-shaped rotating radar similar to the E-3, it used a large active phased array radar with a balance beam structure. At present, it has been successfully exported to Australia, South Korea and Turkey, Italy and the United Arab Emirates with purchasing intentions. The Boeing 737-700 platform consumes only one-third of the fuel of the Boeing 707, 40% of the maintenance cost of the 707, and only 50% of the manpower requirements of the 707. The proper rate in countries equipped with the E-7 is about 96%. The civil aviation industry operates a large number of Boeing 737s, which take off on average every five seconds.
▲ Australian Air Force E-7
In addition to a more advanced and reliable platform, the E-7's balance beam radar also offers unique advantages over the E-3. The E-3's radar only spins once every 7 to 9 seconds, but the E-7's active phased array radar can have a scan time set to 3 to 40 seconds. This is especially important for the detection and defense of highly maneuverable targets, which must have such a scanning speed to deal with modern threats. In order to overcome the blind spot problem before and after the "balance beam" radar, the E-7 has two small radars at both the front and rear ends of the radar to provide a 60° front and rear field of view, thus achieving 360° coverage.
▲ The KFO has E-7s and F-15Ks, and the KFO has 4 E-7s
Senior Air Force leaders have said there is no viable alternative to the E-7 "wedge." Although noegger's E-2D is in service with the Navy, the Navy is satisfied with it, but the speed and altitude of the turboprop-powered E-2D does not meet the requirements of the Air Force, and sweden's "Ari Eye" has the same problem. In January, an Australian E-7 participated in the Red Flag exercise at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, and the E-7's long-range command and control capabilities left a good impression on the U.S. Air Force. However, the biggest advantage of the E-7 is that it is still in production, and Boeing's Boeing 737NG series production line will last until 2025. NATO has also considered purchasing E-7s to replace the current 14 E-3 AWACS aircraft. But NATO has decided that Airbus will extend the life of NATO's NE-3A until at least 2035.
The E-7 also has a problem, that is, it is not compatible with the data chain of the fifth-generation F-22 and F-35 fighters. Australia and Boeing are working together to make the E-7 compatible with Australia's F-35, F/A-18 and P-8 patrol aircraft. The current E-7 is not an open architecture platform, there are major difficulties in future upgrades, Boeing is developing an open mission system to meet future needs.