Aircraft
IAI brings ‘attitude’ to AEW
When Singapore revealed that it had chosen the Gulfstream G550 business jet as its new airborne early warning (AEW) platform last April, Northrop Grumman o

When Singapore revealed that it had chosen the Gulfstream G550 business jet as its new airborne early warning (AEW) platform last April, Northrop Grumman officials were reportedly shocked. They had every confidence that the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) would select the E-2D, an upgraded version of the Hawkeye twin turboprop that had served the RSAF well for nearly 20 years.

But as Singapore Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean noted when he announced the choice, “The G550-AEW with its high operating altitude of 41,000 feet enjoys an unhindered radar detection of more than 200 nautical miles.” Singapore is also believed to have evaluated and rejected another twin-turboprop-based AEW solution, the Saab Erieye.