Credit: nato.int / NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the President of Boeing International, Sir Michael Arthur  at Melsbroek Airport in Brussels  27 November 2019.

By Gary Raynaldo   /  DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

NATO and the Boeing Company signed a $1 billion contract in Brussels Wednesday to modernise the military Alliance’s fleet of AWACS aircraft.  The historic aviation deal was inked at Melsbroek Airport in Brussels to mark a major investment in the Alliance’s fleet of AWACS surveillance aircraft. 

“NATO AWACS have been our eyes in the sky, supporting our operations for decades, from patrolling American skies after 9/11, to our operations in Afghanistan, and as part of the Global Coalition against ISIS,” 

 – Jens Stoltenberg NATO Secretary General said.

The contract with Boeing will provide NATO’s 14 AWACS aircraft with sophisticated new communications and networking capabilities. Sixteen  NATO Allies, on both sides of the Atlantic, are funding the modernisation, and companies from Europe and North America are working together to provide high-tech capabilities.  The planes were deployed in U.S. skies after the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington to help protect cities and nuclear power plants

Credit: nato.int / NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the President of Boeing International, Sir Michael Arthur  at Melsbroek Airport in Brussels  27 November 2019.

 “NATO AWACS is a symbol of trans-Atlantic excellence, in terms of technology and partnership between Boeing, NATO and Europe. This modernisation programme will ensure the aircraft continue to thrive,”

-Sir Michael Arthur, President of Boeing International

 The Secretary General underlined that NATO continues to adapt, and is already planning for the replacement of the AWACS in 2035. “NATO will work closely with industry. We will consider how technologies – like artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and big data – can help NATO keep its edge,” he said. The Secretary General added that NATO is an important platform, where Allies can join forces and invest in new capabilities for shared security. “We will continue to modernise and adapt our Alliance, both now and in the future,” he added.

NATO AWACS airplane at Melsbroek Air Base to mark the signing of a contract with Boeing to modernise the AWACS fleet.