Boeing says its subcontractor EADS has started a series of system enhancements on the first of 17 NATO AWACS aircraft. The upgrades are part of a $1.32 billion mid-term modernization program. (The US Air Force AWACS E-3 aircraft already are undergoing a similar upgrade. DR 9/14/05). EADS is working on the NATO birds in Manching, Germany. Boeing says the first aircraft should be done by November, with the entire fleet completed in 2008.
The incoming head of the 7th Air Force will face an intense mission while relying on 4th-generation fighters to stave off looming threats from North Korea and China.