[Avionics Today 03-12-2015] Boeing completed the first flight of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) with upgraded avionics systems. During a two-hour test flight on Dec. 31, the flight-testing team evaluated five glass displays with customizable engine, navigation and radar data.
Boeing test pilots fly an upgraded NATO Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft over Seattle on Dec. 31. Photo: Boeing.
The AWACS is based on the Boeing 707, a four-engine airliner that first entered service in 1958. The AWACS fleet is being upgraded under a $394 million U.S. Air Force contract issued in 2012 to enable aircraft compatibility with future air traffic control and navigation requirements. Boeing expects to deliver the first upgraded aircraft by January 2016.