Fórum Defesa Brasil

Boeing Again Delaying First Wedgetail

Jun 10, 2008
Robert Wall/Aerospace Daily & Defense Report


Boeing again has to delay delivery of the first 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Wedgetail aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force.

Earlier this month, Boeing officials were still hoping to hold a March 2009 delivery date for the first Wedgetail, but that’s now slipped to July, according to Chris Chadwick, who heads Boeing’s precision engagement and mobility unit.

“We’ve been having technical challenges,” he concedes.

Just last week, company officials were touting how the Royal Australian Air Force approved results from the first set of mission requirement flight-tests on the 737 AEW&C aircraft – marking the beginning of the end in a long-delayed delivery effort of the first Wedgetail (Aerospace DAILY, June 6).

What the financial impact of the latest delay may be is still not clear, but Wedgetail is being worked on a fixed-price contract. Prior delays came with a big financial hit to Boeing and they have served as a touchstone reason behind Australia’s ongoing re-examination of its defense acquisition plans (Aerospace DAILY, May 22).

One of the issues that’s proving difficult to complete development on is the electronic support measures. Radar work is progressing well, Chadwick indicated. Boeing says it is working hard with suppliers BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman to deliver the first Wedgetail by July 2009.

The Turkish AEW&C program should not be affected by the Australian delay, Chadwick said. The first aircraft is due for delivery there in 2010.