Boeing even with their early iteration of their 767 based tanker project were right from the start factoring additional capabilities out of the platform. This is early 2000's prior to the E-10 and the KC-767. Well before the timeline you are contemplating.
I would need to check and see what I can find regarding both the initial KC-X competition, as well as the first and 2nd Boeing submissions and the KC-30 submission. At present I do not recall the initial programme being intended to replicate some of the RC-135 or E-8 capabilities, and if such capabilities were not in the RFP, I do not see why a defence contractor would expend funds to add such capabilities since the unasked for capabilities would be excluded from providing an advantage at contract award decisions get made. In point of fact, this was the argument Boeing made and the GAO agreed with which led to the contract award for KC-30 to be overturned and a new KC-X competition being held.
Good grief I am not talking specifically about the KC-X competition in and of itself. I was mentioning the development considerations that were conducted by Boeing in the lead up to all this nearly 20 years ago. Their quite obvious commercial consideration that the 76 platform had potential for other capabilities that Boeing had delivered through the 135 family and the legitimate commercial expectation that the aging 135 platform was going to be eventually replaced. That is no way assuming that they were attempting a frankenstein tanker, transport, AEW&C, flying command post, joint stars all in one boondoggle.
Perhaps, though the Sentinel R1 AFAIK has sensors that are optimized for ground scanning/surveillance. It appears that some versions of the Globaleye can be fitted with a ground-scanning radar with GMTI Realistically though, we do not know how well the sensor performance of that would compare with the AESA aboard the Sentinel.
That's why the current suggested cost for E3 upgrades is so high - the RAF is looking at 2bn to get the cabs back on track and Australia's Wedgetail buy was a bit less than that so adjusting the cost forward from their purchase, it's close as far as I can see, which is possibly why the RAF/MOD are thinking in terms of "well, we've had our money's worth.."
The original Erieye was integrated into NATO systems when Greece bought it, & I think the Israeli EL/W-2085 AEW&C system has been integrated for Italy, since it bought the G550 CAEW. AFAIK updating Erieye to Erieye ER is unlikely to cause any integration issues.
Like I posted on the the Military Aviation thread, these jets are just too expensive for solo nation efforts. As for a Commonwealth effort, a frightening thought for the RCAF. Junior might say "hey guys, no F-35s because I am going to buy 6th fighters designed in the U.K. and built by my friends at Bombardier".
True ... but if you combine the GDP of the UK, Canada and Australia you suddenly have an economy ranked just behind The US and China. It makes sense for those three countries to work together on these sorts of projects.Like I posted on the the Military Aviation thread, these jets are just too expensive for solo nation efforts. As for a Commonwealth effort, a frightening thought for the RCAF. Junior might say "hey guys, no F-35s because I am going to buy 6th fighters designed in the U.K. and built by my friends at Bombardier".
The problem with such an idea (of the three nations working together on a project like this) IMO is that while the economies of the nations might be comparable to the US or PRC, one also needs to look at the defence industrial capacity, and especially the sectors of defence industry which would be needed for a fighter aircraft product.
Or the Italians, who are already mentioned in that article as a partner. Leonardo is one of the ten largest defence companies in the world
The French and Germans have pretty much excluded the rest of Europe from being tier one partners in their project so there might be a few disgruntled countries looking elsewhere. Possibly it might just end up with the old Eurofighter partners teaming up without Germany.
I love the name. I'd already thought that it would be my favourite for a follow-on to Typhoon. I know it's a bit obvious, but sometimes things are obvious because they're right.
Yeah, but I expect that the initial Italian involvement is via their British arm. It includes the old Ferranti radar operation, & makes the Seaspray, Osprey, PicoSAR Vixen 500E, ES-05 Raven (for Gripen), etc. radars & has a share in the Typhoon radars (CAPTOR & the AESA successor), as well as various other military electronics, decoys, & so on.