KC-17,    CE-17 AWACs , reopen the lines,,," if you build it, they will come"

I would have thought that something like an extended range 787 would be ideal, with an AESA set and all that.

Or, if the EC-3s are able, wait and get a BWB or an aerostat or something.

so does this mean the next AWACS will also be a version from Northrop Grumman AIRBUS 330. I'm sure there going to want to keep the same airframe as the tanker for maintenance and supply issues something to think about.

Airbus won the contract for 179 of some 500 tankers. We didn't build an E-10 based off of the DC-10 platform for AWACS now did we? But we do field a KC-10.

I don't think that there is a realistic chance for an Airbus AWACS. I remember a few years ago I talked to one of the responsible engineers of EADS military mission aircraft division (who are e.g. doing maintenance for the NE-3A NATO AWACS). They were considerations whether to propose an Airbus alternative to the 707 (which was thought to potentially be cheaper in maintenance in the long run) ... however, the idea was quickly abandoned because the requirements to carry sensor some and equipment at that time meant that the the aircraft needed to be redesigned nearly from scratch.