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World Aviation Defense & Security Industry News - Boeing Defense
 
 
Boeing wins $93mn contract for E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft support
 
The US-based defense giant Boeing Defense has been awarded a $92,9 five-year IDIQ contract for E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) sustainment engineering and technical support, the US DoD announced on July 7.
     
A NATO E-3A Sentry AWACS aircraft
(Credit: NATO)
     
"This contract provides for support to the E-3 AWACS division and will also generate technical requirements for the Air Force, Japanese Air Self Defense Force (JASDF), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF), UK, and French Republic (FR)," the US DoD said.

Work will be performed at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and is expected to be complete by July 9, 2022. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. The US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is the contracting activity. This contract involves foreign military sales to JASDF, NATO, RSAF, UK, and France.

The E-3 Sentry usually operates at an altitude of around 10 km. From this altitude a single E-3A can constantly monitor the airspace within a radius of more than 400 km and can exchange information – via digital data links – with ground-based, sea-based and airborne commanders.

NATO's fleet of 16 E-3A AWACS airplanes just celebrated its 35th anniversary. Flying operations began in February 1982 after delivery of the first E-3A-aircraft. The RSAF operates five E-3A aircraft, while four E-3Fs are flown by the French Air Force and six E-3Ds by the Royal Air Force.

Because the Boeing 707 is no longer in production, Japan Air Self Defense Forces operates the E-3 mission package fitted into a fleet of four Boeing E-767s.