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Saturday, February 14, 2009

Serious failures in $3.8bn early warning system

Boeing 737-700 AEW&C (Wedgetail)Project Wedgetail, the RAAF's $3.8 billion hi-tech airborne surveillance and early warning system, is in deep trouble and may never achieve the performance levels expected by the air force.

So fundamental are the problems surrounding Wedgetail that Defence has had to commission a top US laboratory to conduct an independent design and performance review of the aircraft's radar developed by US defence giant, Northrop Grumman.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory is undertaking the review, assisted by a small team from Australia's Defence Science and Technology Organisation.

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1 comment:

  1. Pete18/2/09 23:36

    To constantly generate projects with complex problems that run years overtime enriches the careers of Australia's defence acquisitions people (DMO). Much like the Pentagon.

    It is after all "play money" they're using.

    Article says "Boeing and Northrop Grumman remain confident the performance of the Wedgetail system will easily exceed any existing airborne warning system."

    Well NATO/US should start trading in its E3s straight away.

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