NATO proudly announces the successful Airworthiness Certification of air-to-air refueling operations between its BOEING based Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) E-3A and the AIRBUS based Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport A330MRTT aircraft. This achievement marks a critical leap forward in enhancing the Alliance’s strategic flexibility, interoperability, and operational reach.  

The annual meeting of the Industrial Benefits Advisory Group (IBAG), organized by the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control (NAEW&C) Programme Management Agency (NAPMA) was held in Lisbon on 04 and 05 June 2025. The meeting brought together 10 out of 16 national representatives from the Nations participating in the NAEW&C Programme, (Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Türkiye), alongside prime contractors The Boeing Company and the International Aerospace Management Company (IAMCO), and representatives from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA).  

The December 2023 SKYWATCH issue featured details about the Final Lifetime Extension Programme (FLEP), a major modernisation activity that will assure the operational capability of the NE-3A fleet until its planned retirement in 2035. With the recently announced acquisition of a fleet of E-7 aircraft, both programmes support NATO's long-term vision for an operationally, high-performance Airborne Early Warning System.  

Since the inception of the Combined Test Team (CTT) in September 2022, a lot has been accomplished getting the joint Force-NAPMA team prepared to conduct Final Lifetime Extension Program (FLEP) lab and aircraft testing. There is still work to go but due to the support from Force organizations, from Flight Medicine through Infrastructure, the CTT is prepared to begin formal FLEP test activity in 2024.  

Last month the Ground Test Station, referred to as GTS, was delivered from the NCIA facilities at JFC Brunssum to the NATO E-3A Air Base in Geilenkirchen. In the next months the GTS will undergo the final build-up steps prior to site acceptance test. Engineering vetting for the use is achieved via the NAPMA Chief Engineer OSS&E process complemented by an Approval for Test (AfT).  

Several members of the NE-3A Chief Engineer’s Office (CE) had a first-hand look at on-going modifications to N-1, the first jet to be equipped with Final Lifetime Extension Programme (FLEP) capabilities, 15-17 February 2023 at the Leonardo facility in Tessera, Italy.  

We all know that the NE-3A Final Lifetime Extension Programme (FLEP) will bring new functionalities and updates to the aircraft.
But there is much more to FLEP!
Several new and improved ground systems will be introduced. These modernization areas will improve mission planning, mission system testing, software configuration/maintenance and will provide a realistic mission environment to provide essential mission crew training on the ground.