Free Republic

Australia is integrating three new operational elements into its advanced, network-centric military — a squadron of Wedgetail command and control aircraft, the first two squadrons of F/A-18F Super Hornets and the Vigilare theater surveillance integration system — all designed as the backbone of a small, highly responsive force. However, this cutting-edge force was envisioned somewhat differently only five years ago. The Wedgetail had a 2006 delivery date and F-35 Joint Strike Fighters were slated to replace the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) classic F-18 Hornets as soon as they were available. Instead, the Wedgetail’s radar was set back by a...

Wedgetail's Radar -- What Was Wrong and What Fixed It Posted by David A. Fulghum at 2/2/2011 3:01 AM CST Australia’s new airborne early warning and control aircraft has arrived, but it is at least four years late. The Australian military was stunned in 2006 to discover that the Wedgetail’s large, futuristic, long-range radar still had both hardware and software problems. The first problem involved the “end-fire” portion of the radar that provides the fore and aft segment of its 360 degree coverage. A long, hollow chamber atop the radar had been carefully shaped to deflect a portion of the...

A Boeing 737 Wedgetail will enter heavy maintenance for the first time in July, six months before the Royal Australian Air Force will receive its first example with full capability. Boeing delivered the service's first of six Wedgetail airborne early warning and control system aircraft in 2003, but the programme fell three years behind schedule because of problems with structural modifications and radar performance. Last November the RAAF accepted the first two Wedgetails with limited capability. Another aircraft will be delivered with full capability by the end of the year, with the remainder scheduled to follow in 2011. Meanwhile, the...

The Boeing Company today announced that the Commonwealth of Australia has accepted the first two Project Wedgetail 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft into the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fleet. The aircraft were accepted during a ceremony today at RAAF Base Williamtown, the main operating base for the Wedgetail fleet. "This major milestone demonstrates that the 737 AEW&C system is ready for operational training and use. It also represents the culmination of years of design, development, modification and testing by the Boeing-led team to bring this complex system -- the first of its type -- to our...

THE Royal Australian Air Force has taken ownership of its first two Wedgetail Early Warning and Control aircraft but the troubled $4.2 billion contract will remain on the infamous “projects of concern” black list. Speaking today at a formal handover at Williamtown air base, Defence Materiel and Science Minister Greg Combet said good progress had been made in the last two years to overcome technical problems with the aircraft. But until bugs in the promised performance specifications of the aircraft's advanced MESA radar are resolved, Wedgetail will stay listed in the black book, his office confirmed to The Australian. These...

IAI loses $1.5b South Korea AWACS tender IAI unit Elta Systems was disqualified because it lacked US export licenses for key systems. Ron Paz 3 Aug 06 17:27 Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd. (IAI) and its Elta Systems Group subsidiary have suffered a heavy blow. The South Korean Ministry of Defense has disqualified Elta’s proposal to supply four AWACS plans, worth $1.5 billion. The decision leaves Boeing (NYSE:BA) as the sole proposal in the tender, and brings to an end the year-long prestigious head-to-head confrontation. The decision was taken during a meeting of the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA)...