Is NATO Moving Away from Boeing for Its Next AWACS?

NATO’s long-standing airborne early warning fleet, built around the aging Boeing E-3 Sentry, is approaching a critical replacement phase. After decades of service, the alliance is now exploring options for a next-generation system capable of operating in increasingly complex and contested environments.

Recent reports suggest that the Saab GlobalEye, developed by Saab in partnership with Bombardier, is gaining traction within discussions. The platform, already in service with operators such as the United Arab Emirates, combines airborne early warning with multi-domain surveillance capabilities, offering a more flexible and modern approach compared to legacy systems.

If confirmed, such a choice would mark a significant shift. NATO has traditionally relied on U.S.-built platforms for this mission, and selecting a European-led solution would signal a growing emphasis on industrial diversification and strategic autonomy within the alliance.

However, no official decision has been announced. The scale and strategic importance of the program mean that any final selection will involve extensive political, industrial, and operational considerations. Boeing is still expected to compete strongly, leveraging its long-standing role within NATO and its experience in airborne early warning systems.

For now, the reports should be seen as an indication of direction rather than a confirmed outcome. Even so, they highlight a broader trend: NATO is not only replacing an aircraft, but redefining how it conducts airborne surveillance and command in the decades ahead.

Singapore to Buy Four Boeing P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft

The United States has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale (FMS) that would see the Republic of Singapore acquire four Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft along with associated systems, torpedoes, and support equipment. The transaction — cleared by the U.S. State Department and notified to Congress — is valued at roughly USD 2.3 billion and formalises an acquisition process initiated in 2025. 

Singapore’s decision to select the P-8A follows a defence ministry announcement in September 2025 when Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing informed U.S. counterparts that the platform had been chosen to replace the RSAF’s ageing Fokker 50 maritime patrol fleet. 

The planned FMS package covers:

4 × Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft — fixed-wing maritime patrol and reconnaissance platforms

MK 54 lightweight torpedoes — submarine engagement weapons

Sensors, mission systems, spares, and technical support tailored to the RSAF requirements

The equipment mix is designed to deliver a complete radar, acoustic, and weapons suite that enables wide-area patrol and undersea threat engagement well beyond the capability of the turboprop aircraft currently in service. 

The P-8A Poseidon is a multi-role aircraft optimised for maritime security missions including anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and search-and-rescue operations. It integrates long-range sensors, sonobuoy launch systems, and weapons delivery capabilities that allow coordinated tracking and prosecution of contacts across broad maritime areas. 

For Singapore — an island city-state reliant on secure sea lines of communication — improving maritime domain awareness and undersea threat response is a strategic priority. Its surrounding waters are among the busiest in the world for commercial shipping and naval activity, and regional submarine capabilities are expanding. 

The planned P-8As will replace a fleet of five Fokker 50 MPAs that have served the RSAF’s 121 Squadron since the early 1990s, addressing limitations in endurance, sensor range, and interoperability with modern networked systems. 

The move underscores the close defence relationship between Singapore and the United States, which spans training, joint exercises, and equipment interoperability. Singapore currently operates a mix of U.S. platforms — including F-15 and F-16 fighters, CH-47 Chinooks, and AH-64 Apaches — and has an ongoing programme to field F-35 Lightning II jets in the near term. 

From a regional perspective, this acquisition aligns Singapore with other Indo-Pacific partners that have invested in the Poseidon to improve anti-submarine and maritime surveillance capabilities. Increased undersea activity in the South China Sea, Strait of Malacca, and wider Indian Ocean underscores why modern MPAs are a priority for small but strategically placed maritime powers.

The P-8A represents a significant leap in tactical reach and sensor networking compared with the RSAF’s legacy turboprops. Its long-range radar, acoustic processing suite, and torpedo deployment options will broaden Singapore’s patrol footprint and improve its ability to detect, classify, and respond to surface and subsurface contacts.

Commonality with U.S. and allied Poseidon operators will also aid coalition operations, data sharing, and participation in joint exercises — a valuable attribute in asymmetric maritime environments.

The platform’s ISR suite and ability to integrate with allied C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) networks will support both peacetime security and crisis scenarios, from piracy response to humanitarian support.

Singapore expects to phase the P-8A into service by the early 2030s, with delivery timelines tied to final contract approvals and integration activities. The RSAF’s broader maritime force modernisation — including new submarines, upgraded frigates, and expanded ISR assets — will complement the Poseidon’s role in national defence.

Final congressional approval and formal contract signatures are still required under the FMS process. However, the U.S. clearance marks a key milestone and signals continued convergence of defence interests between Singapore, the United States, and other maritime partners in the Indo-Pacific.

New Zealand receives first P-8A Poseidon

New Zealand received the first of four Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft

The milestone comes four years after the New Zealand Government entered into an agreement with the U.S. Navy for the P-8A.

Boeing Defence Australia will provide sustainment services for New Zealand’s.

New Zealand’s three remaining P-8 aircraft are all in advanced stages of production and will be delivered in 2023. The aircraft will replace New Zealand’s current fleet of six P-3K2 Orions and will be based at Royal New Zealand Air Force Base Ohakea.

navalnews

6 new KC-46s for the Italian Air Force

The Italian Air Force has decided to start negotiating with Boeing to purchase 6 new Boeing KC-46A (called KC-767B in Italy) to replace the current 4 KC-767A.

The aircraft currently on the line will be exchanged to Boeing.

The Ministry of Defence’s choice was made in order to rationalise the flight line as there was an initial requirement for 2 additional tankers to those currently in service.

The cost of the contract is about $1.3 billion, including support from Boeing for 5 years.

itamilradar 

Boeing and USAF ink deal for F-15EX fighter jet

The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a nearly $1.2 billion contract to build the first lot of eight F-15EX advanced fighter jets to help the service meet its capacity requirements and add capability to its fighter fleet. The award also covers support and one-time, upfront engineering costs. Already under construction at the Boeing F-15 production facility in St. Louis, the first two jets deliver next year.
The F-15EX will replace the oldest F-15C/Ds in the service’s inventory. Eight F-15EX aircraft were approved in the fiscal year 2020 budget and 12 were requested in the FY21 budget. The Air Force plans to purchase a total of 76 F-15EX aircraft over the five-year Future Years Defense Program.
The F-15EX is a two-seat fighter with U.S.-only capabilities. It features a deep magazine that can carry a load of advanced weapons. The platform also requires minimal transitional training or additional manpower and little to no infrastructure changes, ensuring the continuation of the mission.
The most significant difference between the F-15EX and legacy F-15s lies in its Open Mission Systems (OMS) architecture. The OMS architecture will enable the rapid insertion of the latest aircraft technologies. The F-15EX will also have fly-by-wire flight controls, a new electronic warfare system, advanced cockpit systems, and the latest mission systems and software capabilities available for legacy F-15s.
blogbeforeflight

Air Force One’ is set to finish critical design review

The US Air Force (USAF) Boeing VC-25B executive transport has completed almost all of its critical design review with just a few outstanding issues to be resolved.
The USAF aircraft, which is known by the call sign “Air Force One” when the US president flies aboard, received most of its critical design review virtually, as coronavirus restrictions prevented the entire development team from meeting in person.
Completion of critical design review would clear the way for production to start on the VC-25B. The USAF has ordered two examples of the type, which is based on the 747-8 commercial airliner.
To save money, the service is modifying two 747-8s originally built for Russian carrier Transaero, which filed for bankruptcy in 2015 before it could take delivery of the aircraft. Initial modifications and retrofits, including the addition of two airstair doors, began in March.
flightglobal

KC-46 and P-8 production line to reopen

Boeing will restart production of the P-8 and KC-46 on Monday after a three-week pause in operations spurred by the spread of the novel coronavirus in Washington state.
The company temporarily shut down operations in the Puget Sound region on March 25. Boeing’s sites in Washington focus primarily on the development and production of commercial airliners and militarized variants of those aircraft, such as the KC-46 tanker made in Everett and ­­the P-8 submarine hunting plane made in Renton.
defensenews

FIRST FLIGHT OF F-15QA FOR QATAR EMIRI AIR FORCE

Boeing has conducted the first flight of the advanced F-15QA fighter jet for the Qatar Emiri Air Force. Chief Test Pilot Matt Giese started the flight test off in spectacular fashion with a so-called "Viking takeoff," which involves climbing at an extremely high angle at full afterburner to rapidly gain altitude.
The flight took place around Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, Missouri. Boeing says the aircraft demonstrated its agility with both the Viking takeoff and other maneuvers, some of which involved pulling up to 9 Gs, over the course of the 90-minute test.
Qatar signed a contract to buy 36 F-15QAs, via the U.S. military's Foreign Military Sales program, in 2017.
thedrive

Boeing gets contract to build 6 P-8As for South Korea and 4 New Zealand

The U.S. Navy awarded Boeing [NYSE: BA] a $1.5 billion production contract for the next 18 P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The contract includes eight aircraft for the U.S. Navy, six aircraft for the Republic of Korea Navy and four aircraft for the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
The Republic of Korea Navy and Royal New Zealand Air Force acquired the aircraft through the Foreign Military Sales process and will receive the same P-8A Poseidon variant designed and produced for the U.S. Navy. The Royal New Zealand Air Force is expected to begin receiving aircraft in 2022 and the Republic of Korea Navy is expected to begin receiving aircraft in 2023.
boeing

PRODUCTION OF US MILITARY PLANES KEEPS ON DESPITE COVID 19

The Pentagon has started a daily dialogue with its top vendors as it attempts to measure and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the defense industry. Meanwhile, Boeing and Lockheed Martin said production on major acquisition systems like the KC-46 tanker and F-35 strike fighter will continue.
Boeing has directed all staff who can telecommute during the pandemic to do so; however, production and fabrication on the KC-46, F-15, F/A-18, and T-7 continue, with enhanced hygiene on the production line.
Similarly, production of the F-35 will continue despite temporary line stoppages in Italy and Japan, and the Pentagon is staying in regular contact with its top vendors.
Italy’s F-35 Final Assembly and Check-Out (FACO) facility closed March 16 and 17 for a “deep cleaning,” according to a source familiar with the program, but production of parts and other line activities will resume on March 18. Japan’s F-35 FACO in Nagoya also was closed March 9-13, but is back up and running again, sources said. One reported that Nagoya, run by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, was already well ahead of its production goals so there should be “no impact” from the temporary stand-down.
Lockheed is not anticipating “any significant impact on the supply chain” from its worldwide vendors, according to a source familiar with the program.
airforcemag

Boeing starts ‘Air Force One’ modifications of 747-8

Boeing has begun modifications to the first of two commercial 747-8 airliners which are to be turned into US Air Force (USAF) VC-25B aircraft.
Known by its “Air Force One” call sign when the US president flies aboard, two VC-25B are to operate as the USA’s top executive transports for the next 30 years. Modifications are being done at Boeing’s San Antonio, Texas facility, says the USAF.
“The first phase of aircraft modification involves cutting out large skin and structure areas in both the forward and aft lower lobes of the aircraft and then installing two newly manufactured superpanels,” says the service. “The superpanels contain structural upgrades and cutouts for the VC-25B lower lobe doors, including internal airstairs for mission requirements.”
The USAF is working to replace its current fleet of presidential aircraft, two 747-200-based VC-25A aircraft delivered in 1991, with two 747-8s originally built for Russian carrier Transaero, which filed for bankruptcy in 2015 before it could take delivery. The commercial airliners need extensive retrofits to be transformed into the VC-25B configuration.
flightglobal

US Air Force hopes for major KC-46 fix by March

After more than a year of deliberations, the U.S. Air Force is hoping to have a fix in hand for the KC-46 tanker’s most critical technical problem by the end of March, the service’s top general told Defense News in an exclusive interview.
The hope is for the Air Force and Boeing to sign off next month on a finalized design for the KC-46’s Remote Vision System, or RVS — a series of cameras and sensors that allow its users to steer the aircraft’s boom into a plane for aerial refueling.
For several years, the KC-46 program has grappled with a critical deficiency involving the RVS, which is manufactured by Rockwell Collins. Under certain lighting conditions, the imagery is difficult to see and sometimes distorted, making it difficult for operators to safely move the boom without scraping the aircraft receiving fuel.
defensenews

UK signs E-7 airborne early warning contract

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed plans to acquire five Boeing 737-based E-7 airborne early warning and control system aircraft, with the platforms to be modified by Marshall Aerospace & Defence Group.
The E-7 system – already operated by the Royal Australian Air Force, plus South Korea and Turkey – is based on the 737NG airframe, and powered by CFM International CFM56 engines. Its mission equipment includes a Mesa active electronically scanned array produced by Northrop Grumman, plus onboard operator stations.
Each E-7 will be flown with a crew of two pilots and 10 mission operators, according to the MoD. It describes the type as having an operating ceiling of 41,000ft, and a range of up to 3,500nm (6,470km). The type also will feature commonality with the RAF's future fleet of nine 737NG-based P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, the first of which is scheduled for delivery later this year.
flightglobal

Boeing won’t deliver first USAF'S KC-46 aerial-refueling tanker by month’s end as agreed

Boeing won’t deliver its first KC-46 aerial-refueling tanker by month’s end as it had agreed, according to U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, the latest in a procession of missed deadlines since the company won the contract in 2011.
Air Force officials met with the plane maker Wednesday “to try to lay down the path forward for delivery and to make sure the deficiencies that have been identified are taken care of in a way that brings that aircraft in as promised,” Wilson told editors and reporters in a round-table at Bloomberg headquarters in New York.
The Air Force and Boeing had anticipated delivery Oct. 27 of the first of the tankers, supposedly settling a disagreement over timing for the much-delayed $44.3 billion program. That first of 179 tankers was originally supposed to be delivered in April to June of 2016.
While the tanker still has unresolved deficiencies with its system for midair refueling, the latest delivery date “slippage really was directly attributable” to the need to wait for certification by the Federal Aviation Administration in September that the aircraft’s refueling and mission avionics system met agency standards, Wilson said. It was “a little later than they expected,” she said of Boeing.
seattletimes

UK in talks to buy Boeing E-7 Wedgetail

The British Ministry of Defense (MOD) is in talks with Boeing to acquire the E-7 Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control System.
The MOD said after a market analysis and discussions with providers of other systems it had concluded the E-7 Wedgetail was the most cost-effective aircraft available and potentially could be used in collaboration with Australia, an ally and member of the “Five Eyes” intelligence sharing treaty.
The British Ministry of Defense (MOD) is in talks with Boeing to acquire the E-7 Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control System.
The MOD said after a market analysis and discussions with providers of other systems it had concluded the E-7 Wedgetail was the most cost-effective aircraft available and potentially could be used in collaboration with Australia, an ally and member of the “Five Eyes” intelligence sharing treaty.
flightglobal

Boeing will not permit Israel Aerospace Industries to convert its B-767 planes to airborne refueling configuration.

While Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) aspires to be the vendor in one of Israel's biggest defense procurement programs in the next few years, for fuel tanker aircraft for the Israel Air Force, US aerospace giant Boeing is liable to put a serious obstacle in its way: sources inform "Globes" that Boeing will not grant IAI permits to convert its planes to tanker configuration. Such a restriction means that IAI is liable to find itself out of the running for supplying the Israel Air Force's new tankers, as its proposal is based on buying used Boeing 767 aircraft on the open market and converting them for airborne refueling of combat planes.
Boeing has a clear interest in ousting IAI from the procurement program that has been taking shape at the Ministry of Defense and in the Air Force for a long time, since it is considered the leading candidate for winning the order, estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
en.globes.co.il

Boeing starts production of Qatar F-15QA

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah paid a visit to the Boeing Company plant in the US state of Missouri.
During the visit, HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs inaugurated the F-15 aircraft production line for the Qatari Amiri Air Forces.
He also toured the company's building, which allows trainees to have on-ground experience before actually flying.
The project, dubbed Ababeel, aims to develop the Qatari Amiri Air Forces' capabilities as part of its plans to modernise its fleet of fighter jets to protect the country's capabilities.
HE Dr al-Attiyah and US Secretary of Defence James Mattis signed the Letter of Intent in June 2017 for Qatar purchasing 36 fighter jets (F-15) in a deal worth $12bn.
gulf-times

Boeing set to deliver first KC-46 aerial tanker to USAF in October

Boeing has reached an agreement with the US Air Force to deliver its first KC-46 Pegasus tanker in October 2018.
The Chicago-based aerospace manufacturer was contracted to deliver the first batch of 18 KC-46s by August 2017 but missed that deadline after having production issues. The USAF said it now expects that the first 18 aircraft will be delivered by April 2019.
This agreement paves the way for delivery of the first new tanker to the USAF 16.5 years after the US Senate first proposed a replacement plan for the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, a 1950s-era tanker.
The first KC-46 will be delivered to McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas. Then, aircraft will be delivered to Altus AFB in Oklahoma and Pease AFB in New Hampshire. Boeing said it now has 43 aircraft in some stage of production, including 34 aircraft which are now in the final stages of build.
flightglobal

Finland’s HX program takes next step

The Finnish government has issued a request for quotation (RfQ) to four nations in order to find potential bidders for Helsinki’s HX fighter replacement programme.
Finland has requested bids from France, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, all of which responded to the request for information that was issued in 2016.
Those bidding for the replacement of the Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet fleet are Boeing with its upgraded F/A-18E/F Super Hornet; Dassault with the Rafale; Eurofighter with the Typhoon; Saab with the Gripen; and Lockheed Martin with the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.
The government is seeking 64 aircraft with weapons and sensors, alongside support, training systems, and spares.
“To reduce the risk involved in the integration of different systems, the tenderers are requested to provide comprehensive solutions meeting the operational requirements,” the government said in a statement.
Finland will begin to phase out its Hornet fleet from 2025, and a selection of the replacement is expected to be made in 2021.
The next phase following the RfQ issue is to begin in the second half of 2019, when final offers will be negotiated with each of the bidders. The final quotations would be requested in 2020, the government said.
The bids will be assessed based on the ability to meet five military scenarios: counter-air; counter-land; counter-sea; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and long-range strike.
janes

US Air Force adds new deficiencies to KC-46’s list of problems

The U.S. Air Force’s troubled KC-46 tanker program has hit another bump, adding two of the most serious types of deficiencies yet to the list of problems manufacturer Boeing needs to fix.
The service on Thursday evening disclosed two “category one” deficiencies involving the remote vision system and centerline drogue systems.
defensenews