NATO takes first steps beyond AWACS
The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has awarded six contracts as it plans for the follow-on capability to the NATO AWACS fleet.
Contracts went to the Boeing-ABILITI Consortium (US), General Atomics (US), Lockheed Martin (US), Airbus (Germany), L3Harris Consortium (UK) and MDA (Canada) following an international bidding process.
NATO’s E-3A AWACS fleet is set to retire in 2035, after 50 years of service. To plan for the required follow-on capability, NATO's Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) project will involve industry at a very early stage to develop new options for future NATO surveillance and control capabilities, based on future technology and requirements.
The concept stage of the AFSC was initiated in 2017. Being managed by the NSPA, work under this phase will include studies and the development of technical concepts that will help inform future decisions by NATO, individual nations or multinational groups to acquire new systems.
Concept development and assessment activities will take place in 2020-2022 timeframe. High-level concepts proposed by the six contractors will be assessed by NATO to identify the most promising concepts for further development and feasibility analysis in a second competition that will be announced later in 2020.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Digital Battlespace
-
BAE Systems gets go-ahead for second phase of mission communications programme
DARPA’s Mission-Integrated Network Control (MINC) programme was set up to develop an autonomous tactical network and enable critical data flow in contested environments.
-
Just Released: Space Technology Report
Why space is an essential part of modern military capabilities
-
Work-from-home warfare: the power of mixed reality
Defence-secure mixed reality headsets can save hours, or even weeks, of travel time to fix defunct equipment or get subject experts effectively “on-site” where they are needed.
-
Northrop Grumman receives follow-on contract for CUAS and C-IED systems
The Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) and Drone Restricted Access Using Known Electromagnetic Warfare (DRAKE) counter-UAS (CUAS) systems are mounted and dismounted RF jammers.
-
Adarga’s Vantage AI software selected for UK Strategic Command’s Defence Support
Adarga’s Vantage information analysis tool is in service with the UK MoD and individual UK forces. It builds on the company’s Knowledge Platform which processes, organises and analyses open source material, as well as information held by the user’s military, security and intelligence services.