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NATO to retire one E-3A AWACS aircraft

Xinhua, June 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

NATO will retire one E-3A AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System) aircraft from active service after its last flight departing from NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, Germany, NATO said Tuesday.

Aircraft 449 is the first NATO AWACS from the E-3A Component to be retired and will be flown to Davis Monthan Air Force Base in the United States where it will be dismantled.

The decision to retire one E-3A was made by the North Atlantic Council in an attempt to modernize the fleet and reduce overall manpower and financial costs.

At present, only 14 of the 17 aircraft in the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control fleet are programmed for modernization. A decision has been taken to retire one AWACS aircraft in 2015 due to budget restrictions. No decisions on further aircraft retirements have been taken.

NATO's approach aims to maintain a high level of capability in this area while prudently managing limited resources, it said. Endit