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AIR 5077 - Project Wedgetail
Airborne Early Warning and Control

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Boeing 737 AEW&C System

The Boeing 737 AEW&C System is based on the commercial 737-700 airliner, which provides modern avionics and glass cockpit, minimal crew requirements and commonality with commercial airline fleets for flexibility and support. It is fitted with a Northrop Grumman ESSD (formerly Westinghouse) Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar fitted above the rear fuselage of the aircraft. This is combined with a Boeing designed Open Systems Architecture (OSA) mission system with six common console stations for the mission crew. The OSA mission system is Standards based and uses 80% Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) software. Boeing have teamed with Northrop Grumman (ESSD), Boeing Australia and British Aerospace Australia for the Boeing 737 AEW&C System.

Performance

B737-700 IGW Aircraft:

• Max Take-off Weight > 171,000 lb
• Dash Speed > 460 Knots
• Cruise Speed > 400 Knots
• Loiter Speed > 300-345 Knots
• Operating Altitude > 29,000 ft

MESA Radar

• Long Range (200 nmi)
• 360 degree coverage in less than 10 seconds
• Integrated IFF
• Beam Steering
• Interleaved multi-mode operation

Vist the Boeing Defence and Space Group Wedgetail Page