Western C4ISR Aircraft Deliveries/Retirements: 2020-2029

Aviation Week Network forecasts that over the next ten years, 286 Western-designed aircraft preforming C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) missions will enter military service, and 142 will be retired. These figures include all fixed-wing aircraft specifically equipped to perform C4ISR missions against ground-based and airborne targets--everything from utility aircraft with EO/IR devices to sophisticated electronic warfare platforms. They exclude observation aircraft (which are not specially equipped for their mission), search and rescue, and combat aircraft not dedicated to C4ISR roles. Maritime missions are treated separately, but aircraft can have both C4ISR and maritime missions when appropriate.

Hover over the interactive charts to see percentages.

Boeing’s 737, which serves as the base airframe for both the E-7 and P-8, will see 65 deliveries over the forecast, making up 22.7% of total global deliveries. The P-8 is by far the more popular platform. While best known as a maritime ASW platform, the P-8 has robust SIGINT capabilities. The Northrop Grumman E-2 family also will see a lot of movement over the period, with an almost equal number of deliveries and retirements as the U.S. Navy replaces their aging E-2Cs with the modern E-2D variant and the Japanese are augmenting their E-2 fleet with additional aircraft. The Lockheed Martin C-130 is another aircraft family that will see a lot of movement in both deliveries and retirements. Over the decade C-130J-based variants capable of C4ISR missions will be delivered, 12.6% of all deliveries. The retirements this decade, 19% of all retirements, all will be variants derived from the C-130H.

Source: Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN) 2020 Military Fleet & MRO Forecast
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