Today's question comes from NTV, who writes (in reply to my post about the "Lost 767" below):
This leads to the question(s) that I have had since the KC-45 winner was announced. What direction will the Air Force's C4ISR planes move now that there wont be a KC-767? If the Boeing would have won the competition, then using the 767 airframe to replace the JSTARS, AWACS, Rivet Joint, etc would have made sense. Now, things are much more open. With the continued miniaturization of electronics it doesnt, IMO, make sense to have an A330 sized replacment for these aircraft. Will we see a trend towards small aircraft like the 737 AWACS and the P-8? How much of the missions will be taken over by UAV's? Stephen, how do the tea leaves look to you?
Great question! You make a good point. Even if the USAF thinks the KC-30 is sized about right for a KC-135 tanker replacement, that does not mean it's the right fit for a JSTARS or AWACS replacement. However, with the 767 production line prospects looking fairly bleak at this point, it's hard to think that the USAF will have any other options.
More immediately, I think the "Lost 767" could be considered as a candidate to carry the former E-10A's wide area surveillance sensor. It's a long shot, but stranger things have truly happened recently.
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