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Anairborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system is an airborneradarearly warning system designed to detectaircraft,ships,vehicles,missiles and other incomingprojectiles at long ranges, as well as performingcommand and control of thebattlespace inaerial engagements by informing and directing friendlyfighter andattack aircraft. AEW&C units are also used to carry outaerial surveillanceover ground andmaritime targets, and frequently performbattle management command and control (BMC2). When used at altitude, the radar system on AEW&C aircraft allows the operators to detect, track and prioritize targets and identify friendly aircraft from hostile ones in real-time and from much farther away than ground-based radars.[1] Like ground-based radars, AEW&C systems can be detected and targeted by opposing forces, but due to aircraft mobility and extended sensor range, they are much less vulnerable to counter-attacks than ground systems.[2]
AEW&C aircraft are used for both defensive and offensive air operations, and serveair forces in the same role as what thecombat information center is tonavalwarships, in addition to being a highly mobile and powerful radar platform. So useful and advantageous is it to have such aircraft operating at a high altitude, that some navies also operate AEW&C aircraft for their warships at sea, either coastal- orcarrier-based and on bothfixed-wing androtary-wing platforms. In the case of theUnited States Navy, theNorthrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye AEW&C aircraft is assigned to itssupercarriers to protect them and augment their onboard command information centers (CICs). The designation "airborne early warning" (AEW) was used for earlier similar aircraft used in the less-demandingradar picket role,[3] such as theFairey Gannet AEW.3 andLockheed EC-121 Warning Star, and continues to be used by the RAF for itsSentry AEW1, while AEW&C (airborne early warning and control) emphasizes thecommand and control capabilities that may not be present on smaller or simpler radar picket aircraft.AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) is the name of the specific system installed in the AmericanBoeing E-3 Sentry and JapaneseBoeing E-767 AEW&C airframes, but is often used as a general synonym for AEW&C.[4][5]
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Modern AEW&C systems can detect aircraft from up to 400 km (220 nmi) away, well out of range of mostsurface-to-air missiles (SAM). One AEW&C aircraft flying at 9,000 m (30,000 ft) can cover an area of 312,000 km2 (120,000 sq mi). Three such aircraft in overlapping orbits can cover the whole ofCentral Europe.[6] AEW&C system indicates close and far proximity range on threats and targets, help extend the range of their sensors, and make offensive aircraft harder to track by avoiding the need for them to keep their own radar active, which the enemy can detect. Systems also communicate with friendly aircraft, vectoring fighters towards hostile aircraft or anyunidentified flying object (UFO).
After having developedChain Home—the first ground-basedearly-warning radar detection system—in the 1930s, theBritish developed a radar set that could be carried on an aircraft for what they termed "Air Controlled Interception". The intention was to cover the North West approaches where German long rangeFocke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor aircraft were threatening shipping. AVickers Wellington bomber (serial R1629) was fitted with a rotating antenna array. It was tested for use against aerial targets and then for possible use against GermanE boats.[7][8] Another radar equipped Wellington with a different installation was used to directBristol Beaufighters towardHeinkel He 111s, which were air-launchingV-1 flying bombs.[9][10]
In February 1944, the US Navy ordered the development of a radar system that could be carried aloft in an aircraft under Project Cadillac.[11] A prototype system was built and flown in August on a modifiedTBM Avengertorpedo bomber. Tests were successful, with the system being able to detect low flying formations at a range greater than 100 miles (160 km). US Navy then ordered production of the TBM-3W, the first production AEW aircraft to enter service. TBM-3Ws fitted with theAN/APS-20 radar entered service in March 1945, with 27 eventually constructed.[12] It was also recognised that a larger land-based aircraft would be attractive, thus, under theCadillac II program, multipleBoeing B-17G Flying Fortress bombers were also outfitted with the same radar.[13]
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TheLockheed WV and EC-121 Warning Star, which first flew in 1949, served widely with US Air Force and US Navy. It provided the main AEW coverage for US forces during the Vietnam war.[14] It remained operational until replaced with the E-3 AWACS.[15] Developed roughly in parallel,N-class blimps were also used as AEW aircraft, filling gaps in radar coverage for the continental US, their tremendous endurance of over 200 hours being a major asset in an AEW aircraft.[16][17] Following a crash, the US Navy opted to discontinue lighter than air operations in 1962.[18]
In 1958, theSovietTupolev Design Bureau was ordered to design an AEW aircraft.[19] After determining that the projected radar instrumentation would not fit in aTupolev Tu-95 or aTupolev Tu-116, the decision was made to use the more capaciousTupolev Tu-114 instead.[19] This solved the problems with cooling and operator space that existed with the narrower Tu-95 and Tu-116 fuselage.[19] To meet range requirements, production examples were fitted with an air-to-air refueling probe.[20] The resulting system, theTupolev Tu-126, entered service in 1965 with theSoviet Air Forces and remained in service until replaced by theBeriev A-50 in 1984.[20]
During the Cold war, United Kingdom deployed a substantial AEW capability, initially with AmericanDouglas AD-4W Skyraiders, designated Skyraider AEW.1, which in turn were replaced by theFairey Gannet AEW.3, using the same AN/APS-20 radar.[21] With the retirement of conventional aircraft carriers, the Gannet was withdrawn and theRoyal Air Force (RAF) installed the radars from the Gannets onAvro Shackleton MR.2 airframes, redesignated Shackleton AEW.2.[22] To replace the Shackleton AEW.2, an AEW variant of theHawker Siddeley Nimrod, known as theNimrod AEW3, was ordered in 1974. After a protracted and problematic development, this was cancelled in 1986, and seven E-3Ds,designated Sentry AEW.1 in RAF service, were purchased instead.[23][22]
The US Defense Department is considering options to move the air moving target indicator (AMTI) mission component from AWACS aircraft to space-based platforms. The space-based sensor is already in orbit and in testing phase.[24]
Many countries have developed their own AEW&C systems, although theBoeing E-3 Sentry,E-7A[25] andNorthrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye and Gulfstream/IAIEL/W-2085 are the most common systems worldwide.
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Boeing produces a specific system with a "rotodome" rotatingradome that incorporatesWestinghouse (nowNorthrop Grumman) radar.[5] It is mounted on either theE-3 Sentry aircraft (Boeing 707) or more recently theBoeing E-767 (Boeing 767), the latter only being used by theJapan Air Self-Defense Force.[26]
When AWACS first entered service it represented a major advance in capability, being the first AEW to use apulse-Doppler radar, which allowed it to track targets normally lost in ground clutter.[27] Previously, low-flying aircraft could only be readily tracked over water.[27] The AWACS features athree-dimensional radar that measures azimuth, range, and elevation simultaneously; the AN/APY-2 unit installed upon the E-767 and later E-3 models has superior surveillance capability over water compared to the AN/APY-1 system on the earlier E-3 models.[28][29]
The E-2 Hawkeye was a specially designed AEW aircraft. Upon its entry to service in 1965, it was initially plagued by technical issues, causing a (later reversed) cancellation.[30] Procurement resumed after efforts to improve reliability, such as replacement of the original rotary drum computer used for processing radar information by a Litton L-304 digital computer.[31][32] In addition to purchases by the US Navy, the E-2 Hawkeye has been sold to the armed forces ofEgypt,France,Israel,Japan,Singapore andTaiwan.[33]
The latest E-2 version is theE-2D Advanced Hawkeye, which features the newAN/APY-9 radar.[34] The APY-9 radar has been speculated to be capable of detecting fighter-sized stealth aircraft, which are typically optimized against high frequencies like Ka, Ku, X, C and parts of the S-bands. Historically, UHF radars had resolution and detection issues that made them ineffective for accurate targeting and fire control; Northrop Grumman and Lockheed claim that the APY-9 has solved these shortcomings in the APY-9 using advanced electronic scanning and high digital computing power via space/time adaptive processing.[35]
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The Russian Aerospace Forces are currently using approximately 3-5Beriev A-50 and A-50U "Shmel" in the AEW role. The "Mainstay" is based on theIlyushin Il-76 airframe, with a large non-rotating disk radome on the rear fuselage. These replaced the 12Tupolev Tu-126 that filled the role previously. The A-50 and A-50U will eventually be replaced by theBeriev A-100, which features an AESA array in the radome and is based on the updated Il-476.[36]
In March 27th 2025,North Korea unveiled an indigenous AEW&C system based on theIl-76TD equipped with anAESA radar, similar in resemblance to theBeriev A-50.
In May 1997, Russia and Israel agreed to jointly fulfill an order from China to develop and deliver an early warning system. China reportedly ordered onePhalcon for $250 million, which entailed retrofitting a Russian-made Ilyushin-76 cargo plane [also incorrectly reported as a Beriev A-50 Mainstay] with advanced Elta electronic, computer, radar and communications systems. Beijing was expected to acquire several Phalcon AEW systems, and reportedly could buy at least three more [and possibly up to eight] of these systems, the prototype of which was planned for testing beginning in 2000. In July 2000, the US pressured Israel to back out of the $1 billion agreement to sell China four Phalcon phased-array radar systems. Following the cancelled A-50I/Phalcon deal, China turned to indigenous solutions. The Phalcon radar and other electronic systems were taken off from the unfinished Il-76, and the airframe was handed to China via Russia in 2002. The Chinese AWACS has a unique phased array radar (PAR) carried in a round radome. Unlike the US AWACS aircraft, which rotate their rotodomes to give a 360 degree coverage, the radar antenna of the Chinese AWACS does not rotate. Instead, three PAR antenna modules are placed in a triangular configuration inside the round radome to provide a 360 degree coverage. The installation of equipment at the Il-76 began in late 2002 aircraft by Xian aircraft industries (Xian Aircraft Industry Co.). The first flight of an airplaneKJ-2000 made in November 2003. All four machines will be equipped with this type. The last to be introduced into service the Chinese Air Force until the end of 2007.[citation needed] China is also developing a carrier-based AEW&C,Xian KJ-600 via Y-7 derived Xian JZY-01 testbed.
KJ-3000
A newly unveiled system byChina. It's based on theXi'an Y-20 platform.
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The EL/W-2085 is an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) multi-band radar system developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and its subsidiary Elta Systems of Israel. Its primary objective is to provide intelligence to maintain air superiority and conduct surveillance. The system is currently in service with Israel, Italy, and Singapore. Instead of using a rotodome, a moving radar was found on some AEW&C aircraft, and the EL/W-2085 used an active electronically scanned array (AESA) – an active phased array radar. This radar consists of an array of transmit/receive (T/R) modules that allow a beam to be electronically steered, making a physically rotating rotodome unnecessary.
AESA radars operate on a pseudorandom set of frequencies and also have very short scanning rates, which makes them difficult to detect and jam. Up to 1000 targets can be tracked simultaneously to a range of 243 mi (391 km), while at the same time, multitudes of air-to-air interceptions or air-to-surface (including maritime) attacks can be guided simultaneously. The radar equipment of the Israeli AEW&C consists of each L-band radar on the left and right sides of the fuselage and each S-band antenna in the nose and tail. The phased array allows aircraft positions on operator screens to be updated every 2–4 seconds rather than every 10 seconds, as is the case on the rotodome AWACS.[37]
ELTA was the first company to introduce an Active Electronically Scanned Array Airborne (AESA) Early Warning Aircraft and implement advanced mission aircraft using efficient, high-performance business jet platforms.
In 2003, theIndian Air Force (IAF) andDefence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) began a study of requirements for developing an Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&CS).[38] In 2015, DRDO delivered three AEW&CSs, calledNetra, to the IAF with an advanced IndianAESA radar system fitted on the BrazilianEmbraer EMB-145 air frame.[39] Netra gives a 240-degree coverage of airspace. The EMB-145 hasair-to-air refuelling capability for longer surveillance time.
The IAF also operates three IsraeliEL/W-2090 Phalcon systems, mounted onIlyushin Il-76 airframes, the first of which first arrived on 25 May 2009.[40][41] The DRDO proposed a more advanced AWACS with a longer range and with a 360-degree coverage akin to the EL/W-2090 system, based on theAirbus A330 airframe,[39][42] but given the costs involved there is also the possibility of converting used A320 airliners as well.[43]
IAF has plans to develop 6 more Netra AEW&CS based onEmbraer EMB-145 platform[44] and another 6 based on Airbus A321 platform.[45][46] These systems are expected to have an enhanced performance including range and azimuth.
TheRoyal Australian Air Force,Republic of Korea Air Force and theTurkish Air Force are deployingBoeing 737 AEW&C aircraft. The Boeing 737 AEW&C has a fixed,active electronically scanned array radar antenna instead of a mechanically-rotating one, and is capable of simultaneous air and sea search, fighter control and area search, with a maximum range of over 600 km (370 mi) (look-up mode). In addition, the radar antenna array is also doubled as anELINT array, with a maximum range of over 850 km (530 mi) at 9,000 metres (30,000 ft) altitude.[47]
TheSwedish Air Force uses theS 100D Argus ASC890 as its AEW platform. The S 100D Argus is based on theSaab 340 with anEricssonErieye PS-890 radar. Saab also offers theBombardier Global 6000-basedGlobalEye. In early 2006, thePakistan Air Force ordered sixErieye AEW equippedSaab 2000s from Sweden.[48] In December 2006, thePakistan Navy requested three excessP-3 Orion aircraft to be equipped with Hawkeye 2000 AEW systems.[49] China and Pakistan also signed amemorandum of understanding (MoU) for the joint development of AEW&C systems.[50]
TheHellenic Air Force,Brazilian Air Force andMexican Air Force use theEmbraer R-99 with anEricsson Erieye PS-890 radar, as on the S 100D.[51][52][53]
Israel has developed the IAI/EltaEL/M-2075 Phalcon system, which uses an AESA (active electronically scanned array) in lieu of a rotodome antenna. The system was the first such system to enter service. The originalPhalcon was mounted on aBoeing 707[54] and developed for the Israeli Defense Force and for export. Israel usesIAI EL/W-2085 airborne early warning and control multi-band radar system onGulfstream G550; this platform is considered to be both more capable and less expensive to operate than the older Boeing 707-based Phalcon fleet.[55] North Korea appears to operate an AEW&C plane based on the Il-76.[56] North korean designation and design details are unclear.[56]
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On 3 June 1957, the first of 2 HR2S-1W, a derivative of theSikorsky CH-37 Mojave, was delivered to the US Navy, it used theAN/APS-32 but proved unreliable due to vibration.[57]
The BritishSea King ASaC7 naval helicopter was operated from both theInvincible-classaircraft carriers and later the helicopter carrierHMS Ocean. The creation of Sea King ASaC7, and earlier AEW.2 and AEW.5 models, came as the consequence of lessons learnt by the Royal Navy during the 1982Falklands War when the lack of AEW coverage for the task force was a major tactical handicap, and rendered them vulnerable to low-level attack.[58] The Sea King was determined to be both more practical and responsive than the proposed alternative of relying on the RAF's land-basedShackleton AEW.2 fleet. The first examples were a pair of Sea King HAS2s that had theThorn-EMI ARI 5980/3Searchwater LAST radar attached to the fuselage on a swivel arm and protected by an inflatable dome.[58] The improved Sea King ASaC7 featured the Searchwater 2000AEW radar, which was capable of simultaneously tracking up to 400 targets, instead of an earlier limit of 250 targets.[59][60] TheSpanish Navy fields theSH-3 Sea King in the same role, operated from the LPHJuan Carlos I.[citation needed]
TheAgustaWestland EH-101A AEW of theItalian Navy is operated from the aircraft carriersCavour andGiuseppe Garibaldi.[61] During the 2010s, the Royal Navy opted to replace its Sea Kings with a modular "Crowsnest" system that can be fitted to any of their Merlin HM2 fleet.[62][63] The Crowsnest system was partially based upon the Sea King ASaC7's equipment; an unsuccessful bid by Lockheed Martin had proposed using a new multi-functional sensor for either the AW101 or another aircraft.[64][65]
The Russian-builtKamov Ka-31 is deployed by theIndian Navy on the aircraft carriersINS Vikramaditya andINS Vikrant and also onTalwar-class frigates.[66] The Russian Navy has two Ka-31R variants, at least one of which was deployed on their aircraft carrierAdmiral Kuznetsov in 2016.[67] It is fitted with E-801M Oko (Eye) airborne electronic warfare radar that can track 20 targets simultaneously, detecting aircraft up to 150 km (90 mi) away, and surface warships up to 200 km (120 mi) distant.
L-304E with 4096 words of memory was completed and put in operation. Very shortly thereafter, the computer was tied to a typewriter, paper tape reader and punch, a small magnetic tape, a real-time clock and a small CRT display and control console.Alt URL
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