A Hawkeye-style Nimrod AEW still faces range limits

Would Nimrod AEW3 have worked with an E-2 Hawkeye-style configuration, and would Britain still buy E-7 later?

It might have worked if range were addressed, perhaps through refuelling, but an eventual E-7 replacement would still be likely.

The proposed E-2 Hawkeye-style configuration might work, though it is not an automatic cure. Range is the principal limitation raised in the exchange. Air-to-air refuelling could mitigate that weakness, although it adds another dependency to the system. Even if the aircraft succeeded, an eventual E-7 purchase would remain likely, with the timing depending on how long the converted fleet remained credible.