As reported, the Chilean Air Force received two previously acquired long-range radar detection aircraft (AWACS) and American-made Boeing E-3D Sentry (British designation Sentry AEW), which were withdrawn from the Royal British Air Force.1). The agreement on the purchase of these aircraft was concluded by Chile in early 2022.
The first received by the Chilean Air Force, acquired after the withdrawal from the British Air Force, a long-range radar detection (AWACS) and control aircraft of American production Boeing E-3D Sentry (British designation Sentry AEW.1, British military number ZH103, serial number 24111/1004) after arriving at the Chilean airbase Pudauel, 07/28/2022. The aircraft still retained the British identification marks (c) www.defensa.com
Two E-3D aircraft transferred to the Chilean Air Force with British military numbers ZH103 (serial number 24111/1004) and ZH106 (serial number 24114/1011) took off from the British Air Force base Waddington alternately on July 25 and 26, 2022 under the control of British crews. On July 27, the first of these aircraft (ZH103) arrived at the Chilean Pudauel Air Base near Santiago, the second board was supposed to arrive there on the evening of July 28.
The Chilean Air Force acquired the last three British E-3D aircraft decommissioned in 2021 - machines with British military numbers ZH101 (serial number 24109/993), ZH103 (serial number 24111/1004) and ZH106 (serial number 24114/1011). It is reported that the last two, who have now flown to Chile, will be commissioned into the Chilean Air Force. The third board (ZH101) will be used as a source of spare parts, and it is likely to be delivered to Chile later by sea. The parameters of the contract for the purchase of E-3D aircraft are not disclosed. It is reported that two Chilean crews have already completed a six-month training course for these aircraft in Waddington.
The British Air Force in September-October 2021, in an accelerated manner, for financial reasons, withdrew the last three E-3D aircraft from the seven newly built machines received in 1987-1991. The aircraft were in service with the 8th Squadron at Waddington Air Base. Earlier, one British plane E-3D had been retired from service in 2009 for use as a source of spare parts, two were withdrawn in March 2019, and another one removed in January 2020. Thus, the United Kingdom became the first country to carry out the decommissioning of Boeing E-3 AWACS aircraft based on Boeing 707. In February 2021, one former British E-3D aircraft was already purchased by the US Navy for conversion into a training aircraft to support the flight crew of American Boeing E-6B Mercury aircraft of the ultra-long-wave communication system TASAMO (also made on the basis of Boeing 707).
To replace the E-3D aircraft, in March 2019, the United Kingdom signed a contract for the purchase of five (then reduced to three) American long-range radar detection (AWACS) and control aircraft Boeing E-7 (also known as Boeing 737 AEW &C, in the British Air Force, these aircraft will be called Wedgetail, used in the Australian Air Force). The first E-7 aircraft is due to enter service with the British Air Force in 2023.
As part of the Chilean Air Force, two received E-3D aircraft should be part of the 10th Group of the 2nd Aviation Brigade at Pudauel Air Base, the only Chilean Condor AWACS and control aircraft (EC-707C, tail number "904"), which was a Boeing 707-385 aircraft (built in 1965), converted since 1994 according to the contract of 1989 by the Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) with the equipment of the IAI Elta EL/M-2075 Phalcon radar system with separate antennas in the nose and side shells. The Condor aircraft was the only operational model in the world with the EL/M-2075 complex and some time ago was withdrawn from the Chilean Air Force by resource.
The plane still retained the British identification marks">
The first received by the Chilean Air Force, acquired after the withdrawal from the British Air Force, a long-range radar detection (AWACS) and control aircraft of American production Boeing E-3D Sentry (British designation Sentry AEW.1, British military number ZH103, serial number 24111/1004) after arriving at the Chilean air base Pudauel, 07/28/2022. The aircraft still retained the British identification marks (c) www.defensa.com
