Boeing is preparing to make the much-delayed delivery of the first pair of Australian 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft for Project Wedgetail later this month, after completing tests of the countermeasures dispenser system (CMDS).

The company says the CMDC testing, conducted in September and October off the Washington state coast and over Puget Sound, Wash., form a major element of the final verification of the aircraft’s overall electronic warfare self-protection capability. As well as the BAE Systems-Boeing developed CMDS chaff and flare system, the Royal Australian Air Force Wedgetails are equipped with LAIRCM (Large Aircraft IR Countermeasures) — a derivative of the AAQ-24 Nemesis Directional IR Countermeasure (DIRCM) system. LAIRCM detects incoming missiles and directs a pointer-tracker to jam the missile’s seeker.

Boeing says CMDS testing included 19 flights that dispensed more than 500 units of chaff and flares. Data also were collected via five high-speed video cameras mounted on the Wedgetail aircraft and an additional video camera attached to a Boeing flight test T-33 chase aircraft.

Project Wedgetail, originally due to begin with aircraft deliveries in 2006, was pushed back several times by integration issues. The first two aircraft, completed in Seattle, will form part of a force of six 737 AEW&C aircraft plus ground support segments for mission crew training, mission support and system maintenance. The remaining four airframes are undergoing completion work in Australia.

Photo: Boeing