Author Topic: AWACS competitors  (Read 19082 times)

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #25 on: November 24, 2012, 04:22:49 PM »
Got the photo, too...)

No photo, no proof... ;)
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Offline Diamondback

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #26 on: November 24, 2012, 04:30:36 PM »
Not my fault if my ugly mug from when I ditched classes for a week causes anyone nightmares... Photo courtesy of a fellow B-52 Association member.

Offline elmayerle

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #27 on: November 24, 2012, 11:56:32 PM »
Stock B-52 is one CSRL, the "stretch" my ex-fighter-jock prof and I pitched would take two. CSRL is only used on 2000-lb-size bombs (Mk 84, JSOW, JDAM) and ALCM, 500-pounders are loaded into conventional racks (sadly, the space-wasting low-density ones they were built with, the high-density clips made for Project Big Belly are all scrapmetal as far as I can find).
Odd thought, can a CSRL take MERs?

Offline Diamondback

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #28 on: November 25, 2012, 12:23:55 AM »
Far as I know it's never been tried--I was wondering something similar re BRU-61 strongbacks for SDB, and every time I remember my walkaround inside -094's bomb bay I end up right back at the same conclusion, that the BUFF's bay is better suited to clip racks than rotaries. Do remember, though, the BUFF was designed at a time when it was meant to carry a single Tallboy-size thermonuclear device or eight smaller Mk 28 nukes in four-shot clips, and conventional munitions were an afterthought at best.

Offline kitnut617

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #29 on: November 25, 2012, 01:10:38 AM »
Stock B-52 is one CSRL, the "stretch" my ex-fighter-jock prof and I pitched would take two. CSRL is only used on 2000-lb-size bombs (Mk 84, JSOW, JDAM) and ALCM, 500-pounders are loaded into conventional racks (sadly, the space-wasting low-density ones they were built with, the high-density clips made for Project Big Belly are all scrapmetal as far as I can find).
Odd thought, can a CSRL take MERs?

What about CSRL in circular pods hanging off the B-52 pylons, would there be any advantage ?

Offline jcf

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #30 on: November 25, 2012, 02:55:13 AM »
In this day of electronic miniaturization, can that huge disc be reduced in size or eliminated altogether?

[edit].  Answer pleasantly found below, thanks!


The 737 AEW&C uses a flat-sided MESA 'top-hat' array rather than a dish.



BTW on one of the earlier configurations the aircraft had a refueling boom mounted above the flight-deck
rather than a flying-boom receptacle. It gave the aircraft a very different look.
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Offline elmayerle

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #31 on: November 25, 2012, 03:56:26 AM »
And why couldn't an aircraft have both the probe and a flying-boom receptacle?  if one wanted to pay the cost and weight penalties, you could do that on a F-35A, for example.  Common systems and structures means that the -A's forward section has the space where the retractable probe would go left empty; you'd have the cost and weight of design work to add it and the door mechanism in, but it would definitely free you up on refueling platforms. 

Offline Daryl J.

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #32 on: November 25, 2012, 02:34:57 PM »
What will Raytheon come up with next.......? :icon_music: 8)
kwyxdxLg5T

Offline Diamondback

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #33 on: November 25, 2012, 02:45:22 PM »
What about CSRL in circular pods hanging off the B-52 pylons, would there be any advantage ?
Might work, IF there's enough ground, fuse and engine clearance on the pylon, IF it can take the weight (I think the heaviest stores hung on a single pylon have been 12x M117 750#, 6x ALCM, 1x AGM-28 Hound Dog or 2x AGM-142 Have Nap (aka Popeye). In THEORY it could work other than the huge added drag, but in theory if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle. LOL

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #34 on: November 25, 2012, 05:44:21 PM »
What will Raytheon come up with next.......? :icon_music: 8)

Why Raytheon?
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Offline Daryl J.

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #35 on: November 25, 2012, 05:52:28 PM »
The Sentinel is pretty cool.   Being the Whiff-verse, that could open many doors, some integrous, some corrupt.
kwyxdxLg5T

Offline jcf

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #36 on: November 26, 2012, 06:40:34 AM »
What will Raytheon come up with next.......? :icon_music: 8)

Not Raytheon, Northrop-Grumman through it's Electronic Systems division, which has its roots in Westinghouse.
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Offline Daryl J.

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #37 on: November 26, 2012, 06:49:29 AM »
I thought the Hughes ASARS-2 came into the Raytheon fold.   My bad :icon_crap:
« Last Edit: November 26, 2012, 07:27:34 AM by Daryl J. »
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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #38 on: November 26, 2012, 07:02:40 AM »
What will Raytheon come up with next.......? :icon_music: 8)


Not Raytheon, Northrop-Grumman through it's Electronic Systems division, which has its roots in Westinghouse.


That's what I was getting at when I asked "Why Raytheon?"...sorry for being cryptic.

This is what Raytheon actually proposed for the Wedgetail AEW Contest:

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Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #39 on: July 31, 2016, 09:43:21 AM »


I referenced a B/W image of this design at the start of this thread but on Facebook someone posted a colour version.
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Offline Volkodav

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #40 on: July 31, 2016, 11:16:38 AM »
Raytheon make me laugh sometimes, they strike me as being the corporate equivalent to the over confident bloke who always pushes to the front and takes the credit, not out of malice but because they deludedly believe they are that good.  AWD project, ASC Shipyard on a government owned common user facility and driving in the first thing you see is a meters high illuminated "Raytheon" sign on the side of the warehouse adjacent to the Systems Centre appearing to indicate it is the Raytheon Systems Centre, shipyard and CUF.  Sadly some in Raytheon actually believe it is the case.

The number of Raytheon wonks who honestly seemed to believe they were the prime contractor rather than an alliance member, that they were the combat developer when what they were actually doing was integrating features to an already developed Lockheed Martin / Navantia design.  They had a finger in every pie and once in tried to take over, even when they didn't actually understand what was required. Almost every function they believed they had the lead on was actually undertaken by career ASC, DMO personnel and contractors hired in to cover off Raytheon's lack of expertise.

Some great people working for them but their corporate culture could almost be called corporate delusion, unfortunately however that delusion has bled through to the media and general public through very proficient and effective brand marketing and their confident self delusion.

Sorry for the ramble by the "Why Raytheon?" seemed like a question worth answering from my perspective.
« Last Edit: July 31, 2016, 11:25:48 AM by Volkodav »

Offline elmayerle

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #41 on: August 01, 2016, 12:43:03 AM »
From my own experience, not overly impressed by how they (mis-)managed Beech Aircraft and their merger of CTAS and E-Systems.  The first has now passed through a holding company to Textron ownership (almost recreating Travelair, save that Stearman's company was acquired by Boeing and the remains left to Spirit when Boeing abandoned Wichita).  The merged CTAS and E-Systems is now a division of L-3 Communications and seems to be doing fair (experiences with Bell in dealing with another division of L-3 are "something else").

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #42 on: October 04, 2018, 10:28:49 PM »
Interesting it looks like the RAF may be looking at Wedgetails to replace their E-3s.
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Offline Spey Phantom

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #43 on: October 04, 2018, 11:42:01 PM »
would make sence, lots of commonality with the newly ordered P-8 Poseidon MR.1's
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Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #44 on: October 05, 2018, 02:45:30 AM »
To unified the RAF aircraft fleet, I'd like to also see:

F-8 FGR1 Fighter
T-8 Trainer
C-8 Transport
KC-8 Tanker
MQ8-A UAV

  :icon_fsm:



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Offline kitnut617

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #45 on: October 05, 2018, 05:48:25 AM »
Interesting it looks like the RAF may be looking at Wedgetails to replace their E-3s.

would make sence, lots of commonality with the newly ordered P-8 Poseidon MR.1's

Personally, I think they should go along with India and use the A330 platform. more common with their Voyager aircraft

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #46 on: November 23, 2018, 07:10:24 AM »
Saab hits out at MoD over AWACS replacement in hard-hitting letter to MPs



Defence company Saab has made  a stinging attack on the MoD over its decision to start talks with Boeing about a £2bn purchase of early warning radar jets without holding a competition for the contract.

Story here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/10/22/saab-hits-mod-awacs-replacement-hard-hitting-letter-mps/
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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #47 on: November 24, 2018, 02:28:08 AM »
I hope that image isn't what they would really propose.
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline Volkodav

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #48 on: November 24, 2018, 09:43:34 PM »
Yes, hold a competition instead of just buying the platform that has been impressing everyone with its capability, reliability and general performance for the last several years in the middle east.

Offline kitnut617

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Re: AWACS competitors
« Reply #49 on: November 24, 2018, 10:02:40 PM »
The type that seems to be in the news more these days is this Gulfstream 550 CAEW. It's about the same size as the Sentinel the RAF uses. When I first saw pics of it I thought it was a new rendition of FASS (Forward Aft Scanner System) but reading up on it, it isn't. It has Phased Array scanners on the four positions which (if I understand it correctly) alternate from one scanner to the next very quickly, to create a complete 360 scan of the area. So no moving parts --