The CAEW-type plane is likely to be pitched to Taiwan to switch its 5 E-2K Hawkeyes, after it couldn’t purchase the E-2D Superior Hawkeye.
L3Harris seems to be pitching its AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Management) plane idea on the TADTE 2025 exhibition in Taiwan, pictures from Sep. 20, 2025, confirmed. Based mostly on the confirmed Bombardier International 6500 service plane, the CAEW (Conformal Airborne Early Warning)-type plane would see L3Harris integrating conformal radar arrays on the edges of the fuselage, slightly than methods mounted on the highest fuselage.
The CAEW sensors and radar are developed by IAI (Israeli Aerospace Industries)/ELTA. L3Harris and IAI/ELTA have additionally partnered for the Italian Air Power’s (Aeronautica Militare) E-550A CAEW plane, primarily based on the Gulfstream G-550 enterprise jet.
The system is being pitched for the embattled and outnumbered nation because it faces day by day provocative incursions of PLA Air Power plane round its Air Protection Identification Zone (ADIZ). Presently working older E-2K Hawkeyes, the RoCAF (Republic of China Air Power) has lengthy sought to reinforce its airborne radar fleet, however has been constrained by finance and geopolitical causes.
外商L3 Harris和Shield AI廠商，各自推出產品模型包括「蝮蛇之盾」(Viper Defend)電戰系統和V BAT 無人機#TADTE2025 pic.twitter.com/BDY6xUxj7X
— 新‧二七部隊 軍事雜談 (New 27 Brigade)🇹🇼🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@new27brigade) September 19, 2025
New plane idea
The person ‘笑脸男人’ shared the pictures of the mannequin show on X, whereas additionally retweeting pictures from a 2024 exhibition in South Korea, declaring L3Harris had pitched the identical platform there with the identify Phoenix. “As an possibility, L3Harris is advertising the International 6500, initially supposed for the South Korean AEW&C competitors, to Taiwan,” the submit stated.
The Republic of Korea Air Power (RoKAF) kicked off an AEW&C II procurement in 2020, after repeated points with its 4 Boeing 737 airborne radars, designated the Peace Eye challenge. The failure to fulfill a focused availability fee of 75%, as per The Warfare Zone, was one main difficulty. The plane is recognized because the E-7A Wedgetail within the U.S. Air Power, Royal Australian Air Power and Royal Air Power service.
In the course of the exhibition in South Korea, L3Harris additionally displayed illustrations on a standee of three different particular mission plane primarily based on the International 6500. These have been the Phoenix AEW&C plane, the CROW Digital Warfare plane and the Griffon ISTAR-Ok, ISR and focusing on plane.
L3Harris showcased a mannequin of the International 6500 “Phoenix” AEW&C on the #TADTE2025. The plane, primarily based on the Bombardier International 6500 enterprise jet, is provided with the latest-generation EL/W-2085 CAEW (L&S) dual-band AESA radar from Israeli firm ELTA Techniques, utilizing GaN… pic.twitter.com/0rnRYuRI8c
— 笑脸男人 (@lfx160219) September 20, 2025
The Phoenix AEW&C plane has a Israeli-made dual-mode EL/W-2085 CAEW AESA (Energetic Electronically Scanned Array) radar, that operates within the L&S bands, and has GaN (Gallium Nitride) transceivers.
Bombardier’s International collection
The International 6500, a longer-range variant of the International 6000, can be the platform of selection for the U.S. Military’s next-generation ISR, deep sensing Excessive Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) program, the Saab GlobalEye AEW&C, the Quickly Configurable To Any Mission-X (RAPCON-X) for the U.S. Military’s Theater Stage Excessive-Altitude Expeditionary Subsequent Aerial-Indicators Intelligence (ATHENA) program, and the proposed Superior Maritime Multi Mission Platform for Italy.
The International 6000 is the service plane for the E-11 Battlefield Airborne Communication Node (BACN) and the Pegasus sign intelligence (SIGINT) plane. The International 6000/6500 airframes are additionally extensively used within the civilian sector, easing logistics and upkeep and thus making them a well-liked selection for particular mission navy plane, starting from airborne radars, ISR and digital/indicators intelligence.
Korean Air and LIG nex1 unveil its idea for ROKAF EW plane primarily based on Bombardier International 6500.
ROKAF’s native AWACS can be deliberate to be constructed on International 6500.
— FacelessMan (@FacelessManTwit) August 21, 2025
The International 6500 was launched in 2018, that includes upgraded Rolls-Royce BR710 Pearl engines, with as much as 13% decrease gas burn for higher working prices and 9% extra thrust. Additionally, the plane has higher sizzling and excessive efficiency in comparison with the International 6000 and 600 NM of further vary.
Taiwan’s E-2 fleet and AEW&C want
The RoCAF already operates 5 E-2K AEW&Cs out of an unique fleet of six. One was critically broken in November 2022 after skidding off the runway at Pingtung County Air Base, “after the touchdown gear was not deployed due to pilot error,” in response to a Feb. 5, 2025 Taipei Instances report. The service acquired 4 E-2T plane in 1995 and two extra in 2005, which have been upgraded to the E-2K commonplace in 2013.
The identical report additionally repeated a requirement, by an unnamed supply, to purchase E-2D Superior Hawkeye variants to switch the older E-2Ks “within the face of elevated Chinese language incursions into areas east of Taiwan.” This was amid the Legislative Yuan suspending US$2.73 billion of the Government Yuan’s proposed protection price range.
We reported in June 2024 right here at The Aviationist in regards to the RoCAF headquarters reaching out to U.S. and French aerospace corporations for brand spanking new aerial refueling tankers and AEW&C plane.
Sensor and C2 capabilities apart, the compact dimension of the E-2 open choices for agile basing. Operators which have employed the Hawkeye in airstrip ops embody Singapore – which retired their Group 0 a/c in 2010) and Taiwan, which nonetheless fly their E-2Ks in freeway ex.s sometimes. pic.twitter.com/d9YXsJ8iiJ
— Roy Choo (@RXRoy) June 12, 2025
TVBS Information recognized the E-2 Hawkeye as one of many platforms being thought-about. The RoCAF invited delegations from these international locations “to conduct briefings and discussions on aerial tankers to realize willingness to provide and promote them.”
A earlier plan to purchase the E-2Ds had been cancelled owing to the “excessive price ticket.” Nonetheless, Taipei Instances added that as “meeting strains have been activated to satisfy a Japanese contract” and this “represented a particular alternative for Taiwan […] this 12 months.”
On Jul. 19, 2024, the Division of Warfare (beforehand the Division of Protection) modified a earlier contract with Northrop Grumman to the tune of practically $1.5 billion, wherein it requested 9 E-2D Superior Hawkeyes. This was one to permit the U.S. Navy and the JASDF (Japan Air Self-Protection Power) to extend their present Hawkeye items by 4 and 5 plane, respectively.
The Superior Hawkeye differs from the unique E-2C for the addition of a brand new radar system, missile protection capabilities, multi-sensor integration and a tactical glass cockpit. Presently, the USN operates 97 E-2Ds acquired between 2012 and 2023, whereas the JASDF employs 5 of them, procured between 2019 and 2020,
