Aircraft
NATO Awards Contracts for AWACS Replacement Studies
In the mid-2030s NATO’s current fleet of aging E-3 AWACS will be retired, to be replaced by a system-of-systems combining aircraft with other assets.
NATO's E-3s will be over 50 years old at the time of their planned retirement. They are powered by the aging TF33 low-bypass ratio turbofan, as are the E-3Gs of the U.S. Air Force, which are due to be replaced in the coming years. (Photo: NATO)
NATO's E-3s will be over 50 years old at the time of their planned retirement. They are powered by the aging TF33 low-bypass ratio turbofan, as are the E-3Gs of the U.S. Air Force, which are due to be replaced in the coming years. (Photo: NATO)

The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has awarded three contracts—each for €15.5 million ($17.1 million)—for Risk Reduction and Feasibility Studies (RRFS) associated with the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) program. The aims of this effort are to examine ways in which the organization can conduct surveillance and control following the planned retirement of the current Boeing E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) fleet around 2035.


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