NATO Awards Contracts To Study Future Surveillance

The organization’s fleet of Boeing E-3As surveillance aircraft is set to retire in 2035.

Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 02:39 PM ET

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NATO operates a fleet of Boeing E-3A Airborne Warning & Control System (AWACS) aircraft equipped with long-range radar and passive sensors capable of detecting air and surface contacts over large distances. [Courtesy: NATO]

Key Takeaways:

NATO has awarded three contracts for feasibility studies to develop its future surveillance and control capabilities, replacing the aging AWACS fleet set to retire in 2035.
The contracts, each worth 15.5 million euros, were awarded to a consortium led by Airbus (ASPAARO), the ABILITI Consortium, and General Atomics.
These studies aim to develop realistic technical concepts, assess their feasibility and risks, and guide NATO's collective future capability development efforts.
The urgency and importance of these surveillance capabilities are underscored by the current geopolitical situation, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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A consortium of nine companies led by Airbus has been tapped by NATO to conduct one of three feasibility studies for the alliance’s future surveillance capabilities following the upcoming retirement of NATO’s Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.

NATO also awarded contracts for risk reduction and feasibility studies to be conducted by the ABILITI Consortium and General Atomics, it said Wednesday.