AEW&C for RAAF Edges Closer

The RFP will be issued to shortlisted potential prime contractors. At the same time these shortlisted potential prime contractors will be issued with a Request for Tender (RFT) to perform development work — termed Initial Design Activity (IDA) — on their proposed bids.

Up to three potential prime contractors will be awarded IDA contracts, at this stage planned for the last quarter of calendar 1997. Initial Design Activity is expected to last about nine months, during which time the IDA contractors will be issued with a Request for Tender for the AEW&C platforms themselves. The winning contractor will be selected from the results of the IDA and the response to the final RFT. A selection is tentatively planned for the second quarter of 1999, with contract signature in the following months.

Delivery of the actual aircraft themselves would occur in the following years. The timing of this is quite fluid, as the RAAF recognises that the capability it seeks cannot be met by any current off-the-shelf solutions and hence a great deal of engineering and integration work will be required. In addition, there is further flexibility in the timing of the introduction into service as the AEW&C is a new capability, and it is not replacing anything currently in service.

All of the above presupposes budget approvals, and all timings are fluid and could well change. Defence is aiming to acquire a cost-effective AEW&C platform that ably complements the Jindalee Over the Horizon Radar Network (JORN) and ground-based air defence radars. In issuing the ITR the RAAF says it has no preference for radar type or platform size, however both these factors will be dictated by the need to meet the required levels of performance and capabilities. The Air Force is also prepared to consider developmental technologies if they can prove to offer cost-effective and cost/capability benefits.

Obviously the most important feature of an AEW platform is the radar. The RAAF is seeking a radar with 360° coverage and a minimum detection range of 190nm (852km) against fighter-sized targets. The envisaged level of performance required against smaller targets is about 60nm (111km) against Harpoon-sized missiles and 120nm (222km) for helicopters and patrol boat-sized ships. Radars with reduced coverage in the fore and aft sectors (typically some phased array radar installations) will be considered if the companies offering them show that they offer a cost-effective advantage. Cost-effective systems with a 170nm (315km) detection range fore and aft may be considered, or alternatively it may be cost-effective to operate two aircraft in tandem (typically flying perpendicular search tracks to each other to provide all-round coverage). The radar would need a target refresh rate of at least once every 10 seconds in track-while-scan mode (the higher the better). Operating altitude would be above 20,000ft.

One factor likely to impact on the airframes offered is the need for an effective dash speed (or max cruising speed) of over 280kt (520km/h) to escape enemy air threats etc, while still maintaining full, all-round radar coverage. This means that aircraft with radars with reduced fore and aft performance that have to fly specific patterns to give 360° radar coverage would have to egress their patrol area flying a zig-zag style track back to the operating base, thus requiring a much higher aircraft speed to maintain a mean line of advance speed of 280kt (520km/h). An air-to-air refuelling receive capability is desirable although the RAAF’s 707s would need to be modified for centreline refuelling — either probe and drogue or boom, depending on fuel flow rates.

The RAAF AEW platform would also be fitted with a high-level ESM system capable of detecting, tracking and identifying regional air, maritime and land-based radars. The ESM system would be similar in capability to the ALR-2001 suite recently fitted to the RAAF’s P-3C Orions. ALR-2001 would need to be offered as a costed option if not part of a bidder’s baseline configuration.

An electronic warfare self-protection suite would also be fitted, similar to that which will be delivered on the RAAF’s C-130Js. This includes a radar warning receiver, missile approach warning system, chaff and flares dispensers, laser warning receiver and possibly infrared signature reduction for the engines.

The aircraft’s control role will see it fitted with an extensive communications suite — HF, VHF, UHF and milsatcom voice comms and datalink comms with other ADF aircraft, ships and ground-based command centres.

(left) Ericsson’s Erieye phased array AEW system (shown here on a Fokker 50) is entering service with the Swedish air force based on the Saab 340 airframe (right) Elta has developed a phased array AEW system based on the 707 called the Phalcon. It may offer a 767 based AEW platform. 24 Australian Aviation July 1996 (left) A Lockheed Martin model of an AEW C-130J Hercules in RAAF markings. (right) The Hercules has already flown fitted with the APS-145 radar (as on the Hawkeye) when it was trialled by the US Coast Guard in the early 1990s.

The RAAF envisages that its AEW aircraft would be manned by a crew of between four and nine back-end operators, plus flightcrew. The crew would work at highly automated multifunction control consoles and each crew member would be multi-skilled and not dedicated to a single task. The AEW aircraft would also need a crew rest area. The ability of the contenders to keep the crew numbers down to a minimum through highly automated data fusion and presentation systems is of great import — the fewer the crew, the smaller the aircraft required, with consequent operating and acquisition cost benefits. However another important consideration is the cost of using RAAF transport assets if the AEW platform is too small to self-deploy with its own support equipment to a bare-bones or civilian airport for surveillance operations.

The initial acquisition phase would cover an initial buy of four aircraft, enough to provide a continuous AEW presence 300nm (555km) from an operating base for 30 days. More (perhaps three) could be acquired in the year 2000 budget.

The AEW aircraft are likely to be home-based, including their training and maintenance support systems, at Williamtown, with forward basing out of Tindal. Basing the aircraft at Williamtown alongside the F/A-18 force and the new lead-in fighter has training and infrastructure benefits, however a final decision on where the aircraft will be home-based will not be made until the aircraft platform is known (perhaps indicating that if the AEW aircraft was based on the C-130 the aircraft would be based at Richmond, or if on the P-3 then at Edinburgh, for example).

Apart from maintenance facilities, hangars and squadron buildings etc (all of which may have to be built from scratch), the AEW&C’s home base would also be host to an operational flight trainer (OFT) for the aircrew and an Operational Mission System (OMS) trainer for the mission crew. The OMS would fully imitate the interior and operations of the AEW&C aircraft. Apart from training mission crew it would also have a secondary function in testing new software. Deeper maintenance would be performed by the winning contractor.

The primary roles of the RAAF AEW&C aircraft will obviously be early warning detection of aircraft, plus missiles and helicopters etc, coordinating and controlling Australian aircraft in response to threats, and providing air coverage for ADF air operations. Other important tasks will be support of maritime patrol and response, protection of shipping, offshore territories and resources, providing radar coverage for maritime and land operations (flying both defensive and forward barrier patrols), special operations support, support of SAR and Combat SAR missions, and intelligence gathering and reconnaissance. During peacetime the AEW&C aircraft would also assist Coastwatch operations.

Companies likely to tender for the AEW&C project include Lockheed Martin, E-Systems, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Elta and Ericsson.

Lockheed Martin could offer a system based on its C-130J Hercules, which the RAAF currently has 12 on order with 24 options. Lockheed Martin is developing an affordable C-130J based AEW&C platform with US Air Force sponsorship for export to friendly nations. This platform would feature the APS-145 radar as on the latest E-2 Hawkeye variants, be interoperable with the USAF and would help relieve some of the demand for deployment of USAF E-3 Sentries.

Ericsson may offer its Erieye phased array radar which is entering service with the Swedish air force aboard the Saab 340. Previously Ericsson had looked at offering the Erieye onboard the Fokker 50, however Fokker’s collapse has forced the company to study other alternates, ranging from the Saab 2000, to the C-130J to a jet airliner (such as the 737).

Elta of Israel has developed a phased array AEW system based on the 707 called the Phalcon (Chile is a customer). The Australian Defence Intelligencer reports Elta is looking at using the Boeing 767 with the Airbus A300 or A310 and C-130J as alternatives for its platform offering for the RAAF.

E-Systems is looking at a range of options, from an APS-145 fitted C-130 to jet airliners with a phased array system.

Boeing could propose an AEW system based on the 737 jetliner perhaps with the phased array radar which Northrop Grumman (previously Westinghouse Electronic Systems Division) has been developing under the Multirole Electronically Scanned Aircraft (MESA) program. Boeing’s E-3 Sentry based E-767 (which Japan has ordered) is likely to be too expensive.

Finally Northrop Grumman could offer the latest radar and systems it is developing for its E-2 Hawkeye (the next generation E-2 Group II Plus mission system) in a larger aircraft — the system is due to fly aboard a US Navy P-3 Orion in 1997.

Whatever AEW aircraft that ends up in RAAF colours is some time away, but the in-service date now looks closer than at any time in the last two decades.