Project Air5077 will be the Australian Air Force's (RAAF) Airborne Early Warning and Control component (AEW&C) of Australia's force projection. The Wedgetail is based on the 737-700 IGW platform with Boeing as the prime contractor in the project. The radar system is from Northrop-Grumman, while locally, BAE System Australia, Boeing Australia and Qantas Defence Systems are also involved.

The contracts and projects Boeing has been involved in with the USAF have come under congressional and media scrutiny recently. This is due to the inappropriate manner in which several of this projects were sought, priced and inflated. This has not been the case with the Wedgetail project. The project is under-budget, on-time and by the RAAF's determination, an extremely well managed project. The Wedgetail has also spawned interest from other nations that are seeking regional power projection; including Turkey, Korea and Italy.

The Wedgetail

Australia still has no AEW&C; system at its disposal, and is entirely reliant upon the United States for this capability. Australia has committed $3.4 billion for six Wedgetails to be delivered between 2006 and 2008. The first of this production line is already flying and being tested in the United State. In addition Australian industry is expected to be involved with $400 million of the project. The Boeing website explains the systems and capabilities of the Wedgetail;

The AEW&C; system combines the new high-performance Boeing 737-700 IGW aircraft with the Northrop Grumman Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar. Included in the platform are an advanced identification friend or foe (IFF) system; an expanded, passive surveillance system; a flexible, open-system architecture and a highly effective self-defense capability. The 737-700 features state-of-the-art avionics, navigation equipment and flight deck. It has a maximum speed of .78 Mach and an operational ceiling of 41,000 feet.

The Wedgetail's name comes from the radar wedge on the rear of the aircraft. This is from Northrop Grumman's MESA technologies which can track air and sea targets simultaneously. The radar also does not have a sweep, so the objects being tracked do not "jump" on the screen. The Wiki entry describes the the radar's capability;

The radar is located on a dorsal fin on top of the fuselage, dubbed the "top hat", and is designed for minimal aerodynamic effect. The radar is capable of simultaneous air and sea search, fighter control and area search. Other modifications include ventral fins to counterbalance the radar and countermeasures mounted on the nose, wingtips and tail. The cabin features 8 operator consoles with sufficient space for 4 more, the Australian fleet will operate 10 consoles with space for 2 more.

The contract included the options for three other aircraft above the initial order of four. Since the radar systems and mission equipment were paid for in the original contract, adding additional aircraft was quite cheap by defence procurement standards. The AEW&Cs; are also very important force multipliers that dramatically increase the effectiveness of forward assets. Consequently Australia took the options for two more, bringing the Australian fleet to six.

The question needs to be asked why the option on a third was not taken. Since Australia's fleet is quite small, and the importance of the AEW&C; as a force multiplier to the Australian Defence Force (ADF); adding a seventh AEW&C; system would have increased the ADF's effectiveness considerably.

Reforming No.2 Squadron RAAF

No.2 Squadron has been reformed specifically for the Wedgetails. The squadron headquarters is currently at Williamtown in NSW. The Australian government has invested $149 million into Williamtown to support the needs of the Wedgetails. No.2's history can be traced back to the Australian Flying Corps when it was formed in the Middle East. The squadron flew DH5 and SE5a aircraft in the skies of France.

The squadron found itself in the bomber role in World War II, flying Lockheed Hudson's and B25's in the South Pacific. The squadron was later equipped with the Australian built GAF Lincolns, large four engined bombers armed with 20mm cannon. These were used in the Malayan Emergency. The squadron was later equipped with GAF Canberras and deployed to Vietnam. With the retirement of the Canberra, the squadron was disbanded as No.1 Squadron and No.6 Squadron, armed with the F111 provided the RAAF's strike and bomber capabilities.

Innovative RAAF RFP's

The 737-700 IGW Wedgetail is not the first Australian defence RFP that has led to an innovative result. It also not the first Australian initiated project that was used by other forces facing a similar situation. In 1926, Richard Williams was faced with equipping a seaplane carrier, HMAS Albatross, with aircraft - aircraft which the RAAF did not have. Williams, along with H.C. Harisson drew up an RFP for an amphibian aircraft that solved this need.

Supermarine was part of Vickers in the 1930's and rose to the challenge; requesting that the wings be wood and fabric rather than metal. After failing an initial catapult test, the Supermarine Walrus was operationally tested on HMS Nelson. Williams ordered twenty-four for Australia, the Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Air Force (RAF) ordered approximately seven hundred and eighty.

The Wedgetail project has raised interest with South Korea, Turkey and Italy. This raises the point that Australia is not alone in its regional projection and technology needs. The United States and Britain have moved to global projection - Australia's more modest needs are popular with other nations seeking only regional projection.

There is an opportunity here for Australian defence industries, but it will require the political will as well as funding from the Australian Government and Australian Defence Force. One of Richard Williams' innovative insights was that Australian solutions to Australian problems are superior. The Australian Government would do well to heed that philosophy.

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