19 December, 2018: Boeing has delivered the final Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft modernisation with avionics and a digital cockpit to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Manching, Germany. This delivery is the final of 14 and ensures NATO AWACS compliance with existing and future air traffic control and navigation requirements.
Upgrades include five full-color digital displays in each aircraft, replacing 1970’s-era dials and provide crewmembers with customisable engine, navigation and radar data.
The first modernised NATO AWACS plane was modified at Boeing facilities in Seattle and delivered to NATO in November 2016. The remaining 13 aircraft went through modernisation work in Manching, Germany.
"We are delighted to deliver this final upgraded AWACS to NATO and honored by their continued partnership," said Scott Johnson, Boeing’s CNS/ATM manager. "The modernized AWACS equipment provides real cost savings and efficiency so NATO can execute their vital mission for years to come.”