Airborne Warning and Control System Block 40/45 Upgrade

The Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) Block 40/45 Upgrade is a Major Defense Acquisition Program under the Major Capability Acquisition pathway managed by the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. This comprehensive modernization effort replaces legacy mission computers and operator consoles on the E-3 AWACS aircraft with new open-system architecture and enhanced computing capabilities. The program aims to significantly improve data processing power, automate previously manual workloads, and provide operators with modernized user interfaces for conducting airborne early warning, battle management, and command and control missions.

Contract awards under this program typically range from small purchases of under $100,000 for commercial off-the-shelf software to major system integration efforts exceeding $300 million with multi-year performance periods. The Boeing Company serves as the primary systems integrator, receiving several large cost-plus-fixed-fee and fixed-price-incentive contracts for production, installation, and contractor support. Other significant prime contractors include Georgia Tech Applied Research Corporation for communications upgrades, Photonis Defense Inc. for microwave power modules, and Rockwell Collins for interim contractor support. Most work is performed at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and various Air Force bases. While some smaller contracts utilize total small business set-asides, the majority of significant awards are unrestricted. The Department of the Air Force Electronic Systems Center and Naval Air Systems Command are the primary contracting activities, with contracts supporting both domestic AWACS modernization and foreign military sales to allies including Japan and Saudi Arabia.