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BAE SYSTEMS receives smart acquisiton award

17 Jun 2001

BAE Systems was part of a team presented with a Smart Acquisition Award for the upgrade programme to the RAF’s AWACS aircraft (otherwise known as the E3-D Sentry Airborne Early Warning aircraft).

The former Minister for Defence Procurement, Baroness Symons presented the award at the House of Lords in May following the successful completion of the upgrade programme, four months early and within budget. The programme incorporated a Radar System Improvement Programme (RSIP) and a Global Positioning Integrated Navigation System (GINS), enabling the aircraft to see further and more clearly during radar surveillance, and with ‘wingspan’ accuracy due to the Navigation System.

Following the success of the RSIP/GINS upgrade, BAE Systems has been contracted by Boeing to carry out a further upgrade to incorporate a Revised Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) modification, across the RAF Sentry fleet. This programme commenced in January and is due to be completed in July 2001, by a smaller team retained from the original Customer Solutions & Support team that embodied the RSIP/GINS modification. The work for this contract is also on schedule and within budget.

BAE Systems’ Customer Solutions & Support team based at RAF Waddington worked with a range of partners to incorporate modifications to the aircraft’s radar. The partners included Boeing, (who built the aircraft and was prime contractor for the upgrade), the Radar/Electronic Systems supplier Northrop Grumman, the US Air Force, Sentry Integrated Project Team, the Ministry of Defence, the RAF and the Defence Evaluation Research Agency (DERA). BAE Systems’ role was to install and checkout the upgraded systems, which involved some structural changes, modification/installation of new equipment, and miles of modified/new cabling, plus testing with upgraded software prior to flight test and re-delivery to the RAF.

Officials have described the programme in glowing terms and cite it as an excellent example of ‘Smart Procurement’ at work. Keith Watt, the Sentry Integrated Project Team Programme Manager has commented on the project as: ‘A yardstick for all future programmes to be measured by. The effort from all members of the team both industry and military was exceptional, and has helped to deliver a superb operational enhancement for the flight crews.’

John Allbaugh, Boeing's Programme Manager RSIP/GINS enthused: 'It has been great working with BAE Systems on this project. Ever since we came together back in 1998 there has been a sense of team working. All team members have put so much energy in to making the project a success; we have put total trust in each other and more importantly we have worked towards a common vision. We were fortunate to bring together good quality skills - especially from BAE Systems.’

Notes to Editors:

* Smart Procurement is an MoD drive to get products and services ‘faster, cheaper, better’ through a range of measures, including reduced bureaucracy, more flexible and co-operative partnering arrangements and a range of risk reduction measures.
* The contractual programme at Waddington commenced in June 1998 and was due to be completed in May 2001. The last aircraft was delivered ahead of schedule in December and demobilisation, which marked the end of the contract, took place in January this year.
* Smart Acquisition Awards are annual awards made by the Minister for Defence Procurement to recognise, reward and celebrate excellent performance in relation to the maintenance and improvement of the MoD’s defence capability. They recognise the way in which the principles of Smart Acquisition are applied effectively.