Operational history Boeing 737 AEW&C

1 operational history

1.1 australia
1.2 turkey
1.3 south korea
1.4 potential customers

operational history
australia

two raaf wedgetails @ exercise red flag 2013

australia ordered 4 aew&c aircraft options 3 additional aircraft. australia has since taken 2 of options. aircraft deliveries begin in 2006, significant program delays due integration problems have occurred. first 2 wedgetail aircraft assembled , underwent testing in seattle, washington. remaining aircraft assembled boeing australia.

for australian aircraft, boeing , northrop teamed boeing australia, , bae systems australia. boeing australia provide training, maintenance , support, bae provides ewsp systems, electronic support measures (esm) systems , ground support systems.

on 29 june 2006, australian minister defence, brendan nelson, announced boeing had informed australian government wedgetail project had fallen behind schedule. according nelson s press release, company had maintained project on schedule. boeing announced 18-month delay, due problems integrating radar , sensor computer systems, , not expected deliver aircraft until 2009. additionally, boeing took $770 million in charges in 2006 delayed aircraft. furthermore, on 20 june 2008 boeing announced delay australian program, due integration of radar , electronic support measure (esm) systems.

on 16 march 2009, boeing demonstrated control of 3 scaneagle uas wedgetail aew&c aircraft.

on 26 november 2009, boeing delivered first 2 737 aew&c aircraft royal australian air force (raaf). these aircraft remained boeing owned , operated, on 5 may 2010 raaf formally accepted these aircraft service. raaf accepted sixth 737 aew&c aircraft on 5 june 2012; last of wedgetail australia had on order. australian aircraft operated no. 2 squadron raaf , based @ raaf base williamtown permanent detachment @ raaf base tindal. in november 2012, wedgetail aircraft achieved initial operational capability.

on 1 april 2014, first operational sortie occurred air control of maritime patrol aircraft taking part in search malaysia airlines flight 370 off coast of western australia.

on 1 october 2014, wedgetail conducted first australian sortie on iraq supporting coalition forces conducting airstrikes against islamic state of iraq , levant (isil). in january 2015, australian e-7a performed longest australian command , control mission in war zone during 16-hour, 18-minute combat mission on iraq, requiring 2 air-to-air refuelings stay aloft. australian wedgetail crews routinely perform 13-hour missions. in april 2016, rotation 5 of aircrew , maintenance personnel had been operating raaf wedgetail in middle east achieved record 100 percent mission success rate in coalition operations against isis (also called daesh). e-7a conducted 36 missions, each lasting upwards of 12 hours, amounting 500 hours of flying 1 aircraft.

on 26 may 2015, australia s fleet of 6 e-7a wedgetail airborne warning & control (aew&c) aircraft achieved final operational capability (foc). occurred after aircraft supported search operations mh370 , took part in operation okra, flying 1,200 hours during more 100 sorties in fight against isil.

turkey

a boeing 737 aew&c peace eagle of turkish air force

four boeing 737 aew&c peace eagle aircraft, along ground support systems ordered turkish air force, option 2 more. turkish aerospace industries (tai) primary subcontractor peace eagle parts production, aircraft modification, assembly , tests. turkish subcontractor, havelsan, responsible system analysis , software support besides delivery of ground support segment located in konya, turkey. havelsan of turkey foreign company licensed u.s. government receive critical source codes.

peace eagle 1 modified , tested boeing integrated defense systems in seattle, washington, usa. peace eagle 2, 3 , 4 modified , tested @ facilities of tai in ankara, turkey, participation of boeing , number of turkish companies. in 2006, 4 peace eagle aircraft scheduled delivered in 2008. in september 2007, boeing completed first test flight of turkey s aew&c 737. on 4 june 2008, announced turkish aerospace industries had completed modifications peace eagle 2, second 737 aew&c aircraft @ tai s facilities in turkey. completion of checks on flight , mission systems took place in third quarter of 2008. in 2013, israel responded american pressure , delivered ew equipment turkish aircraft.

the first peace eagle aircraft, named kuzey (meaning north) formally accepted turkish air force inventory on 21 february 2014. remaining 3 aircraft named güney (south), doğu (east) , batı (west).

south korea

on 7 november 2006, boeing won $1.6 billion contract south korea deliver 4 aircraft 2012. boeing beat other entrant, iai elta s gulfstream g550-based aircraft, eliminated competition in august 2006. first peace eye aircraft delivered gimhae air base, busan acceptance testing on 1 august 2011 remaining 3 aircraft delivered every 6 months until 2012. second aircraft modified aew&c configuration korea aerospace industries (kai), delivered gimhae air base on 13 december 2011. after receiving aew&c modifications kai, third aircraft delivered on may 17, 2012 gimhae air base. fourth aircraft delivered on 24 october 2012.

potential customers

in 2004, italian air force considering purchase of total of 14 wedgetail , p-8 mma aircraft, aircraft support provided alitalia.

the boeing 737 wedgetail reportedly favored competitor aew&c program of united arab emirates in 2007.

qatar stated purchase 3 737 aew&c aircraft in 2014.