 In the 1990s all NATO AWACS aircraft have been upgraded by the "Radar System Improvement System" (RSIP), a US/NATO joint venture in the area of hard and software modifications of the existing radarsystem.This resulted in an aircraft with 2 large sensorpods alongside the fuselage and a 'bulb' under the aircraft nose containing the electronic warfare equipment.After several years of planning in 2000 NATO decided to bring the E-3's on "Mid Term Program" (MTP) standard.