WI different Nimrod AEW 3?

For AEW aircraft altitude and loiter time are important, speed not so much. So why do so few of them seem to have extended wings? Looking at that picture of the AEW Herc it seemed to be just crying out for long, glider-type wing extensions.
 
Just a word on the nimrod, 3 were aircraft that were built in 1973-75 but never delivered to the RAF. The other 8 were from 203 sqn when the RAF left Malta, they only flew for 6 years so shouldn't be considered old and knackered. Also if a radar and electronics can fit into a Hawkeye then a somewhat expanded package should fit into a nimrod if it is properly specified
 

Archibald

Banned
Good point, the Hawkeye surely isn't a big aircraft

I think it has much less radar operators than the E-3, so maybe the automation is higher, or the operator workload much be heavy...
 
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The Orion AEW first entered service in 1988, a similar timeframe as the Nimrod, and it is a medium sized AEW using Hawkeye radar and avionics so the job isn't even close to impossible.
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The biggest problem seems to be inexperience which lead to poor specification, poor project management and the like. Getting experience is not a minimum change PoD, but would get some cool results. I'm thinking of the Gannet AEW7 with an AEW optimised Searchwater radar replacing the APS20F(I) in the belly bulge for the CVA01/02 and the experience gained in this being expanded into the Nimrod AEW3 programme.
 
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