All previously built aircraft for early warning and control of the US Air Force and NATO E-3A / B and most of the E-3C in the 21st century underwent modernization and refurbishment in order to increase combat capabilities and extend the flight life. At the moment, the E-3 Sentry is a single NATO early warning and control aircraft. It is worth saying that this most famous AWACS and U vehicle in the world has very high combat characteristics. Just one aircraft of the AWACS system, patrolling at an altitude of 9,000 meters, is able to control an area of more than 300,000 km². Three E-3Cs can carry out constant radar monitoring of the air situation over the entire Central Europe, while the aircraft radar detection zones will overlap. According to data published in the media, the detection range of a low-altitude target with an RCS of 1 m2 against the background of the earth in the absence of interference is 400 km.
Bombers at an average altitude are detected at a distance of more than 500 km, and high-altitude air targets flying with a large elevation above the horizon, up to 650 km. On the latest modifications of AWACS aircraft, the capabilities for observing stealth aircraft, cruise missiles at extremely low altitudes and launching ballistic missiles have been significantly increased. Much attention is paid to increasing the flight range and duration of patrols, for which air refueling from air tankers KS-135, KS-10 and KS-46 is regularly practiced. At the same time, the number of Sentry in service is very significant, and the level of technical readiness is high. Despite the high operating costs and the intensity of the flights of the E-3 Sentry aircraft, it is now about the same as during the Cold War.
It is possible to note the visual differences between the modernized NATO E-3A and American AWACS aircraft and this applies not only to the external antennas of various radio systems. Recently, NATO AWACS aircraft, which have undergone repair and modernization, carry bright, atypical paint options for military aircraft.
In turn, the gray British E-3D differ from European and American cars with a refueling bar and the absence of passive radio intelligence antennas in the front part of the fuselage. Apparently, the British decided to save money, considering that their vehicles, designed mainly for detecting Russian bombers over the North Atlantic, have little chance of getting into the range of long-range air defense systems and fighters. However, this seriously limited the capabilities of British AWACS aircraft used in 2015 in the Middle East.
British E-3D (Sentry AEW.1)
According to Military Balance 2016, the US Air Force currently operates 30 E-3B / C / G. The main American AWACS airbase is Tinker in Oklahoma. Here AWACS aircraft are not only based on a permanent basis, but also undergo maintenance, repair and modernization.
Satellite image of Google Earth: AWACS aircraft at Tinker airbase
In addition to Tinker Airbase, American air sentries are frequent guests at American airbases around the world. Aircraft of this type, taking off from Kadena airbases in Okinawa or Elmendorf in Alaska, regularly patrol along the borders with China, North Korea and Russia under the cover of fighters.
In addition to scanning the airspace deep in the territory of neighboring countries, AWACS conduct radio-technical reconnaissance, revealing the location of surveillance radars and anti-aircraft missile guidance stations. Also, several AWACS aircraft are based at the largest American Dafra airbase in the United Arab Emirates.
Satellite image of Google Earth: AWACS aircraft and tankers KS-135 and KS-46 at the Dafra airbase in the UAE
Dafra Air Base is the central US Air Force stronghold in the Middle East. Not only AWACS aircraft, tankers and fighters, but also strategic bombers B-1B and B-52H are based here or regularly make intermediate landings. E-3C aircraft operating from an airfield in the UAE are able to control the airspace and coastal waters of the entire region. In the past, they have been used to coordinate strikes against Iraq, Libya and Syria.
At the moment, the American E-3A Sentry, built more than 25 years ago, are being decommissioned due to the development of a resource. They were followed by European AWACS aircraft. So, on June 23, 2015, the first of 18 NATO E-3As arrived in Davis-Montan, Arizona for disposal. The aircraft will be disassembled into parts, and serviceable equipment and components will be used to maintain operational NATO AWACS aircraft.
In the British Air Force, 6 Sentry AEW.1 aircraft serve in two squadrons. Their radar equipment and means of communication and information display in the past have been revised to the level of E-3C.
However, British aircraft do not have radio intelligence stations like the US Air Force and NATO aircraft. One E-3D, which has exhausted its flight life, is used on the ground for training purposes. Since 2015, British AWACS aircraft, based in Cyprus, have been coordinating the actions of fighter-bombers in Iraq.
Modernized AWACS Operator Workstations
Saudi and French vehicles also underwent phased upgrades and repairs. The presence in the air forces of these states of "strategic" AWACS aircraft, capable of carrying out radar control and control of fighter actions within a radius of more than 500 km, gives serious advantages to the combat aviation of these countries.
Aircraft AWACS E-3F French Air Force
French AWACS aircraft are permanently based at Avor airbase in the center of the country. Four E-3Fs are being upgraded one by one. Just like the updated E-3A of the NATO Air Force, the French Air Force planes carry a passive radio reconnaissance station.
NATO E-3A, formally assigned to the Luxembourg Air Force, outwardly differ from the early non-modernized aircraft by the presence of a "beard" in which elements of the electronic warfare system are located, and side flat antennas. The registration numbers of these cars contain the letters LX, indicating that they belong to Luxembourg.
Home for two squadrons of AWACS aircraft of the united European command is the Geilenkirchen airbase in Germany. NATO radar control and command planes regularly make patrol flights over Eastern Europe, Norway, go around the Atlantic coast, control the Mediterranean Sea with stopovers in Greece, Turkey, Italy and Portugal.
Satellite image of Google Earth: E-3A aircraft at Geilenkirchen airbase
The AWACS system, created to coordinate the actions of NATO fighter aircraft and patrolling US air borders, distinguished itself most during regional conflicts after the collapse of the USSR. The E-3 aircraft proved to be excellent in conditions when the combat aircraft of the United States and its allies had an overwhelming superiority over their opponents. In the 70s and 80s, AWACS aircraft of the US Air Force and NATO repeatedly detected and accompanied Soviet long-range bombers performing training flights and tracked the activity of the front-line aviation of the USSR Air Force and the Warsaw Pact countries. However, the Sentry got into the real war zone only in 1991 during Desert Storm.
It soon became clear that "flying radars" are capable not only of detecting enemy combat aircraft and coordinating the actions of their combat aircraft, but also tracking the launches of operational tactical and anti-aircraft missiles and interfering with ground-based radars. During the Gulf War, US and Saudi AWACS patrolled over 5,000 hours and found 38 Iraqi warplanes. Subsequently, the E-3 of various modifications participated in all major operations of the US Air Force and NATO: in the Middle East, in Yugoslavia, in Afghanistan and Libya.
Over the years of operation, several machines have been lost or damaged in accidents and accidents. So, on September 22, 1995, during takeoff from the Elmendorf airbase in Alaska, an American E-3B crashed due to geese hitting two engines. In this case, 24 people on board were killed.
Another flight accident with the "Luxemburg" E-3A occurred on July 14, 1996. The plane crashed in the coastal strip during takeoff from the Greek airbase Preveza. The plane crashed and could not be repaired, but all 16 crew members survived.
On August 28, 2009, the US Air Force E-3C, which took part in a major exercise at the NAFR (Nellis Range Air Force) training ground, while landing at Nellis Air Force Base, where the US Air Force Combat Operations Center is located, broke the front landing gear due to a pilot error. The plane received serious mechanical damage, and its front part was engulfed in flames. The fire was quickly extinguished and the crew was not seriously injured. The aircraft was subsequently restored, but repair costs exceeded $ 10 million.
Since by the mid-90s the base Boeing 707 platform was outdated and was discontinued, the question arose about creating a new AWACS aircraft using the latest E-3 Sentry equipment. By order of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the E-767 was created on the basis of a passenger Boeing 767-200ER in 1996.
Aircraft AWACS E-767
According to a number of authoritative aviation experts, the E-767 AWACS aircraft created by order of Japan is more consistent with modern realities and has significant modernization potential. In general, the characteristics of the radar and radio systems of the Japanese aircraft correspond to the E-3C aircraft. But the E-767 is a faster and more modern aircraft with a cabin twice the volume, which allows for the rational placement of the crew and equipment. Most of the electronics are installed at the front of the aircraft, and the radar dish is closer to the tail end.
Compared to the Sentry, the E-767 has a lot of free space, potentially allowing additional hardware to be installed. In order to protect the crew from high-frequency radiation, the windows along the side of the aircraft were eliminated. On the upper part of the fuselage there are numerous antennas of radio engineering systems. Despite the large internal volumes, the number of operators due to the use of automated workstations and high-performance computers has been reduced to 10 people. Information received from the radar and the passive radio intelligence station is displayed on 14 monitors.
Satellite image of Google Earth: aircraft E-767 and C-130H at Hamamatsu airbase
In the mid-90s, Japan paid approximately $ 3 billion for four E-767s. An additional $ 108 million was spent in 2007 on improved radars and new software. All Japanese E-767s are currently stationed at Hamamatsu AFB.
At one time, the AWACS aircraft based on the Boeing 767 was considered as a candidate in the competition announced by the government of the Republic of Korea. However, the Asian economic crisis of the late 90s put an end to these plans. Subsequently, the South Korean military chose the cheaper Boeing 737 AEW & C, also known as the E-7A. It was originally developed for the Australian Air Force as part of the Wedgetail Project.
In the 90s, the Royal Australian Air Force formed the requirements for an early warning and control aircraft (AEW & C). Since its own aviation and electronic industry was not able to develop a modern AWACS aircraft, Australia turned to the United States for help in 1996. The joint project called Wedgetail was carried out by Boeing Integrated Systems. The new AWACS and U aircraft are based on the passenger Boeing 737-700ER.
The Wedgeail program, named after the Australian wedge-tailed eagle, entered practical implementation in 2000, with its maiden flight in May 2004. The basis of the Boeing 737 AEW & C (E-737) radar system is the AFAR radar with electronic beam scanning. Unlike the American E-3 and the Japanese E-767, the aircraft uses the MESA multifunctional radar with a fixed antenna and the Northrop Grumman AN / AAQ-24 laser missile defense system with IR seeker. Communication and electronic intelligence equipment was developed by the Israeli company EIta Electronics.
To provide a 360 ° field of view, the aircraft uses four separate antennas: two large on the aircraft axis and two small ones facing forward and backward. Large antennas are capable of viewing a 130 ° sector to the side of the aircraft, while smaller antennas monitor 50 ° sectors in the nose and tail. The radar system operates in the 1-2 GHz frequency range, has a range of 370 km and is capable of simultaneously tracking 180 air targets and aiming interceptors at them. The integrated electronic reconnaissance system detects radio sources at a distance of more than 500 km.
Australian aircraft AWACS E-7A Wedgetail
An aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of just over 77,000 kg is capable of a maximum speed of 900 km / h and patrolling for 9 hours at a speed of 750 m / h at an altitude of 12 km. The crew is 6-10 people, including 2 pilots.
Workplaces for E-737 operators
After a short period of deliberation, Australia ordered 6 aircraft, which received the designation of the E-7 Wedgetail in the United States. In terms of their capabilities, these machines became an intermediate option between the E-3 Sentry (E-767) and the E-2 Hawkeye. The use of a relatively inexpensive Boeing 737 airliner and a more compact, although not so productive and long-range radar as a base, made the AWACS aircraft much cheaper. The cost of one E-7A is about $ 490 million.
Following Australia, Turkey decided to purchase AWACS and U aircraft. After negotiations with the American government and representatives of the Boeing corporation, it was possible to come to an agreement that Turkish companies Turkish Aerospace Industries and HAVELSAN, together with Israeli firms, would participate in the supply of avionics and software. In 2008, the first of the four E-737 aircraft ordered for the Turkish Air Force was almost ready.
Satellite image of Google Earth: E-737 aircraft at the Turkish Konya airbase
But the introduction of aircraft into service has significantly slowed down, since due to the aggravation of relations between Turkey and Israel, the supply of Israeli-made equipment was delayed. Only in 2012, Israel, under pressure from the United States, authorized the delivery of missing electronic components.
The first aircraft, named Guney, was officially handed over to the Turkish Air Force on February 21, 2014. All Turkish early warning and control aircraft are based at the Konya airbase, where the E-3s of the US and NATO Air Forces regularly land.
On November 7, 2006, Boeing Corporation received a $ 1.6 billion contract with South Korea for the supply of four E-737 aircraft in 2012. The Israeli company IAI Elta also took part in the competition with its AWACS aircraft based on the Gulfstream G550 business jet. However, it should be understood that the defense capability of the Republic of Korea is highly dependent on the United States, which has a large military contingent and a number of military bases in this country. Under these conditions, even if the Israelis offered a more successful car, on more favorable terms, it was very difficult for them to win.
Aircraft AWACS E-737 Air Force of the Republic of Korea
The first aircraft for the South Korean Air Force was delivered to Gimhae Air Force Base near Busan on December 13, 2011. After passing a six-month test cycle and eliminating the shortcomings, he was officially recognized as fit for combat duty. The last fourth aircraft was delivered on October 24, 2012. Thus, less than 6 years have passed since the conclusion of the contract for the supply of modern AWACS aircraft to its full implementation.
Since the AWACS aircraft developed initially for Australia is very attractive in terms of cost-effectiveness, many foreign customers are interested in it. E-737 participates in the competition announced by the United Arab Emirates. Italy is negotiating with the United States on the possible purchase of 4 E-737 AWACS aircraft and 10 P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft on credit. It is planned to issue these aircraft with one contract, since Poseidon, like Wedgtail, is built on the basis of the Boeing 737 airliner.
