Northrop Grumman E-10 MC2A
Northrop Grumman · United States · first flew 2008 · reconnaissance aircraft
The E-10 MC2A was a proposed US Air Force multi-sensor command and control aircraft, built on a Boeing 767-400ER airframe to eventually replace the E-3 Sentry, E-8 Joint STARS and RC-135 Rivet Joint in one type.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turbofan, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Boeing 767-400ER widebody shape with an unusually long fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Boeing 767-400ER widebody shape with an unusually long fuselage
- No large rotating radome; sensors carried inside the fuselage and in fairings
- US Air Force grey/white livery on an otherwise standard 767-400ER
Essentially a stretched 767 airliner in military colours — distinguish it from an E-3 Sentry by the absence of a rotating saucer radome on top of the fuselage.
Specifications
- The Northrop Grumman E-10 MC2A has a length of 61.3 m (201 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 51.9 m (170 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 913 km/h (567 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 flight crew plus mission crew.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Rising costs led the Pentagon to eliminate the E-10A's development and production funding in December 2005, before the aircraft was built. Boeing completed the airframe anyway — a purpose-built 767-400ER, line number 965 — and first flew it on 21 March 2008 with none of the mission systems fitted.
Variants
Only the one testbed airframe was completed; a planned dedicated radar variant and follow-on production aircraft were never built.
Where you'll see it
The sole airframe never flew in E-10 configuration and never entered USAF service; it was eventually sold and converted into a VIP transport for Bahrain, a quiet end for what was meant to be a major AWACS replacement.
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