AWACS/EW/MP Aircraft Ideas

[elmayerle]

I believe at least one South American hobby shop carries the conversion kit for the S-2T.

Evan,

What scale and who (if you know)?

Well, these good folk, have a 1/72 conversion listed for US$25 plus shipping and handling.

[PolluxDeltaSeven]

E-8 JSTAR
-NATO could operate a squadron of E-8D equiped with CFM-56 engines (operational in Yougoslavia, Kosovo, Afghanistan etc...)
-Germany and/or France: 3 or 4 aircrafts each, CFM-56 engined of course. France could have deployed them in Africa, Yougoslavia, Kosovo etc etc...

EC-767
-RAF: as replacement for the E-3

EC-737
-Israel: to complete the E-2s
-Taiwan: idem
-Spain: they could be interested in a developed AEW system in order to deal with the new Morocan and Algerian fighters and in order to counter drug traffic...

P-8 MMA
-Pakistan: to replace the old P-3 Orion and Atlantic
-USCG
-Australia: to deal with the illegal fishing and the other threats of the area



But we don't have to forget that Airbus is now developing a large variety of special mission's liners: tankers based on the A330 and A310 but also ground surveillance planes (the A321 AGS) and maybe in the future some AEW aircrafts based on the A321 and A330...
So, we could easily see in the future some new AWACS/EW/MP aircrafts:

A321 GS/MP (Ground Surveillance and Maritime Patrol)
-NATO: A321 AGS (Alliance Ground Surveillance): for the moment, that's not a what if but if the program is cancelled or limited to its Global Hawk based variant, it will be...
-France: A321 SASEM (Surveillance Aéroportée du Sol et de l'Espace Maritime: I totally created this variant ). A derivative of the AGS equiped with both ground and maritime surveillance equipment in order to replace the old Atlantic II of the French Navy and the Horizon (ground surveillance system based on the Super Puma helicopter) system.
-Germany: possibly as a Global Hawk (Euro Hawk) alternative for the Atlantic replacement
-India: to replace its old Il-38 and Tu-142 and counter Pakistanis P-8

etc etc...

EC-321
A little AWACS in the same class of the EC-737 could be interesting for the countries that can't afford the EC-767 or EC-330...
It could be an "all european" solution, with a mission system based on French, German or even Swedish radars etc...
I could see a lot of European countries interested in this system:
-Greece: to counter Turkey EC-737
-Sweden: to replace its old SAAB Erieye
-Germany: to finally have a real AEW force!
-Canada
etc etc...

EC-330
Such a big aircraft could be a solution for the countries that want to increase their AWACS capabilities: France to replace the E-3 for example...


And their is also a parallel market for the little business aircrafts. With small but very effective systems (developped in Brazil, Sweden and Europe for example), they could be (and they really are) bought by the AWACS equiped countries in order to deal with the small threats.
Embraer, Astor, Saab, Falcon etc... all those little jets could be equiped with ECM/MP/AEW systems and could serve for anti-drug, coast and fishing surveillance or, for the countries with outer-see territories (France, USA, UK), as multimission aircrafts...

[Archibald]

Recently,I've become really interested in AWACS,EW and maritime patrol aircraft for profiles.The main aircraft and countries I hope to focus on are the following:

E-1B Tracer-Argentina,Australia,Brazil,Canada,Germany,Netherlands,Taiwan
E-2C Hawkeye-Argentina,Germany,Pakistan,UAE,UK
E-3C Sentry-Australia,Canada,Germany
E-8B J-Stars-?
EC-130V Hercules-Iran,Taiwan
P-8A-Argentina,Canada,Germany,Taiwan,
E-737 Wedgetail-South Korea,Turkey (both not really whiffs,but should look good) and the USCG
E-767-?


I also had some ideas for some AWACS models of the BAe-146,DHC Dash-7 and C-141.

So,any suggestions on possible customers or other platforms would be welcome.

Heres a little of what is ahead,an E-1B Tracer from Argentina.

You also need to do the upgraded E-1T "Turbo-Tracer" done in parallel with their S-2T "Turbo-Tracker" wherein turboprops replace the radials and the equipment fit is updated.  For 1/72 modelling purposes, I believe at least one South American hobby shop carries the conversion kit for the S-2T.

Some weeks ago I suggested here modifying the Mach-2 E-1B Tracer. It consisted in
- Canadair CL-415 turboprops (P&W Canada 123, 2300 hp)
- French navy markings

The Hawkeye was much too heavier for the Foch and Clemenceau... but not the
E-1B Tracer. So why not a E-1C Turbotracer?

E-380. It can watch the whole planet!!!
Breguet 2-ponts, Armagnac, Atlantic, Transall, Caravelle, Mercure, Falcon 2000 AWACS!  

[retro_seventies]

this any use Geoff?

http://www.vah21.org/neptune.html

[GTX]

Pollux...

You aren't too far from reality.  EADS has previously announced plans to develop new variants of the Airbus A319/A320 to compete with the Boeing P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA).

Another possible aircraft is the Embraer EMB 145 in its many variants:

* EMB 145SA - Airborne Early Warning model
* EMB 145RS - Remote sensing model
* EMB 145MP/ASW - Maritime patrol model

Regards,

Greg

[Bryan H.]

Sorta like the P-2J Kai?

Yep!  Sorta like a P-2J Kai Kai!  Lockheed has some history in having long production runs and progressively developing/improving an aircraft (ie. the C-130, in production since the 1950's).  So why not the P-2 Neptune.  With improvements in electronics, engines, avionics, etc. you should be able to come up with a very versatile & efficient aircraft.  It should also be significantly simpler and have some other good characteristics.  A modernized P-2 Neptune can be more "forward based" at more primitive airfields and shouldn't need a long airstrip, unlike most Boeing/Airbus offerings.  Sometimes, a big jet is just overkill.  A modernized P-2 Neptune seems to strike a nice balance.

The USN operated a gunship or recce Neptune over the Ho Chi Minh trail IIRC, but I think there was only one of them. Anyone know? 

They had a squadron of AP-2H Neptune gunships, (IIRC) about 8 or so aircraft and another squadron of OP-2H that were a combination reconnaissance/observation aircraft.  The OP-2H's also were heavily involved in deploying remote sensors to monitor the Ho Chi Minh trail.

Bryan

[Shasper]

Another possible aircraft is the Embraer EMB 145 in its many variants:

* EMB 145SA - Airborne Early Warning model
* EMB 145RS - Remote sensing model
* EMB 145MP/ASW - Maritime patrol model

If your talking about the ERJ family, the Army just scrapped its choice for a Guardrail SIGNIT replacement because the A/F was too small to do everything. They're now looking at a modded ERJ-195.


Having said that, the Brazilians are using a modded ERJ145 in the AEW role w/t Erieye radar. I think an ASW version is doable, but you may run into the same size issue as the SIGNIT bird.




Shas B)

[GTX]

I've always known them as EMB-145s.  In fact the Maritime Patrol version has already been proposed:

Embraer have developed the EMB-145 MP configured for maritime patrol and two aircraft have been ordered by the FAP. The EMB-145 MP is very similar to the EMB-145 SA but instead of the Erieye radar, it is fitted with a Raytheon SeaVue search radar in a ventral radome and a FLIR Systems AAQ-22 StarSafire FLIR. In an attempt to attract orders from countries think of upgrading or replacing their Lockheed P-3 Orion's, Embraer have also proposed an armed version, designated EMB-145 P99. This version would be fitted with the Thales AMASCOS suite featuring an Ocean Master search radar in a ventral radome, DR3000 ESM and Agile FLIR. The aircraft would have a cockpit crew of two, five tactical consoles in the fuselage and be capable of carrying four Exocet missiles on underwing pylons.

Here are some pics:





Regards,

Greg

[Shasper]

Sweetness!

Shas B)

[anthonyp]

-France: A321 SASEM (Surveillance Aéroportée du Sol et de l'Espace Maritime: I totally created this variant ).

No ya didn't  B)

Beat ya to the punch with the one I did one up for the Republic of French Louisiana about two months ago.

I've got a few ideas for MMA and AWACS types written down somewhere, just have no idea where at the moment.

Good ideas so far.

Pics of the Vigilant can be found here.

[The Rat]

So, any suggestions on possible customers or other platforms would be welcome.

I love your ideas! One of the projects on my bench right now is an AWACS version of the Atlantic, to be called the Calypso:

[The Rat]

Just had another idea - AWACS Shackleton.

And there's one in the attic just waiting to be refurbished...  ^_^  

[kitnut617]

Just had another idea - AWACS Shackleton.

And there's one in the attic just waiting to be refurbished...  ^_^

Hi T.R.

Well that was a plan back when, but the Nimrod was purchaced instead.  Here's a three view of the proposed Shackleton MR.4 which was to have a multi-role requirement, AWACS being one of them.  Over the last year or so I've been gathering as many parts as I can find so that I can make one of these.  I've just about got everything now so it's just a matter of getting on with it.

http://groups.msn.com/TheWhatifandoddballm...to&PhotoID=2165

But I've been considering another project for a Canadian surveillance aircraft.  I've been thinking that as how the Canadian Government loves to buy off-the-shelf
civillian aircraft and then giving them to the military to use and figure out how to militerize,  I'm going to use the CRJ200 I have and mount the spare Hawkeye Radome I have also on it.  A quick dry fit of the parts and it doesn't look too bad, whether it's feasable is another question  

Robert

[Archibald]

So, any suggestions on possible customers or other platforms would be welcome.

I love your ideas! One of the projects on my bench right now is an AWACS version of the Atlantic, to be called the Calypso:

Calypso? This would be the aircraft of the Commandant Cousteau  
Nice model!!! Welcome back, Pollux! Hope you enjoyed your holidays

[Jschmus]

I have no images, alas, but I found this note in the August 1973 issue of Air Progress:

FACE-LIFTING THE BRONCO
Rockwell International's Columbus, Ohio division is hoping to interest the Navy in an extensively modified OV-10 Bronco that would be able to perform a variety of missions from carriers or shore bases.  Equipped with a new supercritical augmentor wing, and 7200-pound thrust Avco Lycoming turbofans, replacing its Garrett AIResearch 415shp turboprops.  The Bronco would be capable of logistical support, early warning, electronic countermeasures and light attack.

I combed through later issues, but never found any other info.  I'm guessing the engines would be similar to the engines Lycoming built for the Northrop A-9, and they were probably podded on the fuselage sides, like a Learjet or something similar.

If the Navy did buy the type, I imagine the export orders would've come in as well.  I've thought about doing one of my Academy Broncos as an Israeli machine, possibly built by IAI under license.  It would naturally follow that they'd buy the more powerful machine.  They'd have been popular in South/Central America as well.

Back to the topic at hand, the OV-10 could be used as a very light maritime patrol aircraft, possibly using the floats from the original specification.  Could an OV-10 tote a Penguin or Sea Skua-sized ASM?  The backseater could serve as WSO.

The proposal says the more powerful Bronco could be used for ECM, but why not slap pods on the original, or even a small AEW dish?