Up to 10 nations have shown "strong interest" in the planned Boeing 737 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C), says Boeing at the show.
The platform is based on the Next-Generation 737-700. The critical sensor aboard the 737 AEW&C is a multi-role electronically scanned array (MESA) radar.
The steerable beam, L-band electronically scanned array is able to track air, land and sea targets simultaneously and can help the operator maintain control of high performance aircraft while continuously scanning the operational area.
Boeing says installation of the "top hat" on the mid-size 737-700 platform has no significant impact on aircraft performance. The "top hat" solution gives fore and aft coverage while maintaining the low drag profile of the dorsal array system.
Among initial potential buyers of the system is the Royal Australian Air Force and it is believed that other Asian Pacific countries could be interested.
Heading the team promoting the system is John Lorber, the former US Air Force General in command of the Pacific Air Forces.
A former fighter pilot, Lorber understands both the needs of pilots to have good early warning support and the political and economic restraints of that region.
Solution
"There are governments who cannot afford or do not need a 767 solution," Lorber says. "But there is clearly a need for this support. As a pilot you have to get information. You need it fast and you need it uncluttered."
Lorber believes that the 737 is an ideal solution as it has been tested in what he described as the "commercial battlefield."
Source: Flight Daily News
