The last I expected but seems to make sense:

http://www.wired.com/news/technology...,65817,00.html

Yeah I read about this before and it's a good idea.
Those airliners are fine aircraft and you can modify them into so many different ways. That's the power of thinking outside the box really.

yeah, 737 is cheap and not too fast. that's why. the plane is not important but the equipments inside is the heart part. who cares what plane it carries on. but, i do wonder, when the 777 comes out, why not use the new jet? it can save fuel which means can stay in the air longer. well, of course, they might use it after the market are full and the contract start to slow down......it is a good way to put those old jets in use anyway.

Money and the 777 might just be an overkill.

We use the Orion for Sub hunting, coastal recon, and it is currently being modified as a ship hunter... slow you say, yes, but when it employs technology that can destroy a ship from 400km away, it isn't a problem.

The 777 has been ins ervice for at least 7 years now-I can see it as a refueling or CIC aircraft, but definitely not a combat aircraft. It's just too big. The 737 is an excellent choice, and a replacement for the P3 series is long overdue.

Speaking of the 737 platform, the Royal Australian Airforce has just picked up some of these, first delivery being taken on 16th of this month (I think).

It's a Boeing 737 Wedgetail AWAC-S.

This idea seems to be well accepted.

And why not?
Like I said, those airliner airframes are great. Plus they can carry a LOT of stuff.