Boeing has been awarded a $9.8 million Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract to integrate upgrades for the French air force’s E-3F Sentry airborne early warning aircraft. 

The contract, announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Defense, is covers indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity modification (64) to contract F19628-01-D-0016 for French Air Force E-3F, Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) fleet with 40 mission-computing software changes and 17 ground-system software changes.

This contract provides the French Air Force E-3F, AWACS fleet with mid-life upgrades.

Work will be performed in Kent, Washington; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Avord Air Base, France. The work is expected to be completed by June 30, 2020. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $393,537,725.

The E-3F Sentry is a special version of aircraft for the French Air Force with CFM56 engines and French modifications.

The aircraft provides an accurate, real-time picture of the battlespace to the Joint Air Operations Center. AWACS provides situational awareness of friendly, neutral and hostile activity, command and control of an area of responsibility, battle management of theater forces, all-altitude and all-weather surveillance of the battle space, and early warning of enemy actions during joint, allied, and coalition operations.

In support of air-to-ground operations, the Sentry can provide direct information needed for interdiction, reconnaissance, airlift and close-air support for friendly ground forces. It can also provide information for commanders of air operations to gain and maintain control of the air battle.