“Boeing delivered to NATO the first of 14 E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft with cockpit upgrades that improve mission-readiness [and] decrease customer costs,” Tuesday’s release stated.
According to the manufacturer, the planes’ Communication Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management digital flight deck and avionics enhancements ensure compliance with current and future air traffic control and navigation requirements.
The AWACS fleet is NATO’s first integrated, multinational flying unit, providing rapid deployment, airborne surveillance and communication for NATO operations, Boeing said.
Thirteen additional AWACS planes for NATO will have the upgrade installed as part of a $257 million modification effort, with the entire fleet slated for completion in 2018, the company added.
