Three companies and conglomerates have been invited to study to replace NATO’s Awacs aircraft by 2035.
The Boeing E-3 radar aircraft are stationed at the Geilenkirchen base, just across the border at Schinveld.
drone
According to aviation news site scramble Boeing, General Atomics and a partnership of Airbus and Grumman have signed contracts to find out how NATO can monitor and control airspace in the future. This is possible with a manned aircraft, such as the Boeing E-7 radar variant of the Boeing 737 airliner. It is also possible that an unmanned aircraft from manufacturer General Atomics will eventually replace the Awacs aircraft.
Ukraine
NATO’s E-3 Awacs aircraft will be about 50 years old by the time they are phased out in 2035. In recent years, the aircraft have been modernized in order to be able to keep them in service until then. At the moment, the aircraft are flying back and forth over Poland and Romania, from where they monitor Ukrainian airspace.