The Chilean Air Force would have acquired three of the seven airborne early warning (AEW) E-3D Sentry used by the Royal Air Force by 2021, according to the UK Defense Journal.
The RAF aircraft will be replaced by the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail, an AEW variant of the 737, which will have the first aircraft delivered in 2023.
Chile, in turn, uses a Boeing 707 converted into a AEW aircraft since the 1980s by IAI, from Israel. Called the EB-707 Condór, the aircraft is at end of its life.
Of the three E-3Ds, two will actually be used while the third will serve as a repository for parts, according to information gathered by the website.
The RAF had only three Sentry jets in service until last year and retired the last one in October after 30 years in service.
Unlike the EB-707, the British E-3D Sentry are equipped with more economical CFM56 turbofan engines. They are equipped with refueling probe next to the existing boom AAR receptacle, wingtip ESM pods, and other equipment.
The UK Ministry of Defense and the Chilean Air Force had not commented on the agreement until the publication of this article.
