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AEW&C for RAAF Edges Closer
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Aew&C For Raaf Edges Close
The RAAF has issued industry an Invitation to Register Interest (ITR) to provide the ADF with the long sought-after Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability, which should be introduced into service early in the new century.
The ITR is a significant milestone in the process to acquire AEW&C aircraft, and is the result of the RAAF’s current project to acquire such a capability, Project Wedgetail (AIR 5077). The ITR follows a Project Definition Study begun in 1994 to identify the need for an Australian AEW&C capability, where the RAAF studied the ADF’s air defence capabilities and weaknesses, and, having concluded that there was a need for an airborne AEW platform, studied the performance and future technology options likely to be available. However, long-time readers of this magazine would be more than familiar with the ADF’s various moves to acquire airborne early warning. The inaugural issue of Australian Aviation and Defence Review in 1977 featured a major article on AEW for the RAAF, while the RAAF originally began to seriously look at AEW with project AIR 64 in 1975!
The AEW&C ITR — which details the level of capability the RAAF seeks to acquire — has been released primarily so that the RAAF can identify potential prime contractors for the program and weed out companies that would be unlikely to have the ability or technology to successfully bid for AIR 5077. From the replies to the ITR (due by late July), the RAAF will shortlist companies it feels would be able to successfully comply with the Request for Proposals (RFP) which is due for release in the final quarter of this year.
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