Turkey's AEW&C simulators installed and ready to go

The hardware installation was completed in October and November 2009 at the Peace Eagle Ground Support Centre in Konya, Turkey. The team will next install software, then conduct an integration and checkout program.

The Mission Simulator features 10 mission consoles, instructor operator stations, and aircraft equipment rack assemblies. It will provide training for Turkish Air Force crews on a full range of AEW&C missions, reducing the monetary and environmental costs associated with training on the aircraft.

The Mission Support Centre hardware includes both mission planning and flight planning terminals, replay terminals, and Electronic Support Measures workstations. The centre has two main functions: loading mission software onto the Peace Eagle aircraft and providing initial data analysis following a mission.

"These installations are a major step forward for the program and set the stage for formal integration of the hardware and software, as well as for developmental test and evaluation in spring 2010," said Mark Ellis, Peace Eagle program manager for Boeing. "We appreciate the significant cooperation and support we have received from the Turkish Air Force at the base in Konya. Likewise, Havelsan demonstrated outstanding capability, focus and enthusiasm while working with us over the past 15 months to achieve these two complex design and installation tasks."
Havelsan designed the subsystems, acquired the equipment and performed the two installations. Boeing is providing technical guidance and oversight to ensure total system integration according to the Turkish customer's requirements.
 
Installation of a third subsystem, the Software Support Centre, is scheduled to be completed in Konya in 2010. This centre will be used for software testing and upgrades. It features a live communications capability for interaction with the Peace Eagle aircraft.

The Peace Eagle program includes four 737 AEW&C aircraft plus ground support segments for mission crew training, mission support and system maintenance.