In one of the previous issues "NVO" told in detail about the history of creation and design and operation features of the FSR-890 "Eriay" radio-technical complex (RTK), developed by Swedish specialists. It was precisely such a complex that was chosen for installation on early warning and control aircraft (AWACS), which, as part of the implementation of the national patrol program of the Amazon River basin SIVAM (Sistema de Vigelancia de Amazonia), then renamed SIPAM, decided to order air the strength of Brazil. At the same time, an airliner of Brazilian design and production was chosen as a platform for placing this RTK.
BRAZIL BECOMES AWACS
Initially, the development of a new AWACS aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force within the framework of the above project was carried out on the basis of the EMB-120 "Brazil" (Brasilia) airliner, and in two versions at once: the AWACS aircraft itself with a dorsal antenna radar of the Eriay radio complex, designated EMB-120EW ("EW" - from "Early Warning", that is, "early detection" or more broadly "AWACS"), and a reconnaissance aircraft, or, as it is also called, a long-range radar surveillance aircraft or a remote sensing aircraft, a distinctive feature of which became the ventral arrangement of the radar antenna with a synthetic aperture of the beam, which received the designation EMB-120RS ("RS" from "Remote Sensing", which can be translated as "remote sensing").
For the first time, representatives of the Brazilian aircraft building company "Embraer" announced the work on this program in 1995. However, after a preliminary assessment of the project, the command of the Brazilian Air Force made a choice in favor of continuing this project already on the basis of the airframe of the new regional airliner EMB-145 (ERJ-145), developed and manufactured by Embraer. The corresponding contract was issued last in 1997. At the same time, two modifications were also created: the AWACS aircraft EMB-145SA with a dorsal antenna radar of the Eriay radio complex, which received the military designation R-99A (in 2008, the Brazilian Air Force changed the designation to E-99), and the long-range radar surveillance aircraft EMB-145RS with a radar with a synthetic beam aperture with an antenna located in the ventral fairing, which received the military designation R-99B (since 2008 - R-99).
"EYES" AND "JAWS" OF AMAZON PROTECTORS
Aircraft AWACS R-99A (EMB-145SA) is designed to solve traditional tasks typical for aviation complexes of this class, namely: airspace control; search and detection of air, ground and surface targets and the issuance of reconnaissance data and target designation data on them to their command posts and weapons; control and guidance of their fighters; patrolling border areas and water areas (borders) and the exclusive (exclusive) economic zone of the state, including in order to identify various illegal activities and provide search and rescue operations; solving problems in the interests of ensuring flight control and various other tasks.
It is noteworthy that the high demand of the Brazilian Air Force for an AWACS aircraft was caused not so much by the need to solve military tasks as by the presence of a serious threat to Brazil's national security from drug traffickers and smugglers. Especially on the part of the former, since their widely used main method of transporting drugs - by small planes at low and ultra-low altitudes - did not allow the Brazilian border guards and the military to effectively identify them, track and intercept them. A light-engine aircraft flying over the very tops of trees, and even often in pitch darkness or in bad weather, was simply inaccessible to ground-based radars and fighters of the Brazilian armed forces.
Only the R-99A AWACS equipped with a high-precision radar with an active phased antenna array with a long detection range were able to reverse this situation. In addition, the R-99A aircraft are used by the Brazilian military as an air repeater, providing anti-jamming and protected radio communication between ground posts (control points) and light attack aircraft A-29 on patrol (military designation of the EMB-314 ALX aircraft, produced by the Brazilian company "Embraer"), which the Brazilians themselves call nothing other than the "jaws" of the SIPAM / SIVAM system.
The design features of the R-99A aircraft in terms of the placement of elements of the Eriay radio-technical complex, on the whole, turned out to be identical to those characteristic of the previously considered AWACS aircraft of the Swedish Air Force. However, in relation to other specialized equipment and on-board systems located on the Brazilian AWACS aircraft, there are also very significant differences in a number of cases. Including in a constructive sense.
Naturally, the aircraft AWACS R-99A (EMB-145SA) has significant differences from the base aircraft - the regional airliner EMB-145 (ERJ-145). The most noticeable external differences between the R-99A (EMB-145SA) and the EMB-145 airliner are the radome of the radar antenna of the Eriay radio complex installed above the fuselage, as well as the modified tail assembly. In addition, the aircraft has a reinforced structure, an improved auxiliary power unit (APU), new avionics, radio communication equipment and a flight control system, as well as an increased capacity fuel system and is equipped with Rolls-Royce AE3007A1S turbofan engines, developing 20% more thrust than the propulsion system on a basic civil aircraft.
The R-99A crew consists of seven to ten people, including two pilots, while the rest of the crew are operators of target equipment (AWACS, electronic warfare systems, etc.). According to foreign sources, the maximum detection range of air targets installed on the aircraft radar is 450 km, and the maximum detection range of air targets of the "fighter" type reaches 350 km.
After evaluating the project, the Brazilian Air Force command, under the SIVAM program (SIPAM), placed an order for five such aircraft, with the first being delivered in 2002. The rollout of the first flight copy of the new aircraft took place in May 1999, it made its first flight on May 22 of the same year, and the aircraft was adopted in 2001. By July 2002, when the system created under the SIVAM program (SIPAM) became operational, two R-99A aircraft were delivered.
Developed by order of the Brazilian Air Force, the AWACS aircraft turned out to be so attractive in terms of good value for money, that is, opportunities, that in December 1998 a batch of four such aircraft was ordered by the Greek Air Force, which received the designation Erieye EMB-145H AEW & C in the Greek Air Force. The aircraft were delivered to the Greek customer in the period from December 2003 to the end of 2004. One of these aircraft in 2011 was used as part of an operation conducted by a group of armed forces of NATO member countries in Libya.
FAR RADAR SURVEILLANCE
The second special-purpose aviation complex, created by order of the Brazilian Air Force on the basis of the airframe of the EMB-145 (ERJ-145) airliner, was the R-99B (EMB-145RS) long-range radar surveillance aircraft. Its distinctive feature was the use of an integrated radar with a synthetic aperture of the beam IRIS (Integrated Radar Imaging System) manufactured by the Canadian company MacDonald Dettweiler, the antenna of which is located in the ventral radiotransparent fairing. The radar detection range reaches 100 km.
At the same time, in addition to the main radar, it was decided to include the following systems in the radio-technical complex of the R-99B aircraft:
- combined optical-electronic search system of the forward view "Skyball" with television and thermal imaging subsystems;
- multispectral search engine "Daedalus", operating in several ranges (ultraviolet, visible part of the spectrum and infrared);
- a system of radio and electronic intelligence (COMINT / ELINT), as well as other target equipment.
Unlike the first modification, the R-99B (EMB-145RS) aircraft is primarily intended for solving problems of monitoring the ground (surface) situation in river basins (one of the incentives for the creation of this aircraft was the need to ensure effective control over a huge area and inaccessible from the land basin of the Amazon River), mapping the area, researching natural resources, etc.
The high resolution of the onboard synthetic beam aperture radar is of particular importance for solving the problem of finding, in the wild Brazilian jungle, well-hidden drug laboratories, transfer points and secret forest paths (roads), as well as airfields and runways built by drug dealers for their air fleet. …
The high potential of the R-99B aircraft can be estimated at least by this fact: three aircraft in just 10 days can map an area of about 1.5 million square meters. km. At the same time, within the framework of the SIVAM (SIPAM) program, R-99B aircraft carried out high-resolution mapping of the Amazon River basin, the survey area was 5.2 million square meters. km.
In general, thanks to their unique equipment, long-range radar surveillance aircraft R-99B were able to successfully complement AWACS R-99A aircraft and together with them allow reliable control of the air, ground and surface situation in order to ensure Brazilian national security and maintain order and security in important for the country and the entire region of the Amazon Basin.
The onboard equipment of the R-99A / B family aircraft includes: the TCAS II airborne collision avoidance system; ground collision warning system GPWS; wind shear sensor; flight and navigation complex; two radio altimeters, an instrumental landing system, etc. The instrumentation of the aircraft cockpit includes a number of multifunctional indicators and other relevant equipment, in particular, an indicator against the background of the windshield and a system for displaying engine parameters and alerting the crew.
The Brazilian Air Force ordered three aircraft of the EMB-145RS type, which, as already indicated, received the military designation R-99B. The first aircraft was flown in March 2000, the delivery of the first aircraft was completed in July 2002, and the transfer of all R-99A / B aircraft to the customer was completed in December 2003. All aircraft - R-99A and R-99B - are part of the 6th air group and are currently deployed at the Anapolis air force base.
Another customer of the aircraft of this family was the Mexican Air Force. They purchased one EMB-145SA type AWACS aircraft, which was given the military designation R-99 in Mexico (the aircraft was delivered in June 2004), and two EMB-145RS long-range radar surveillance aircraft, which are used as a maritime patrol aircraft and received the designation P -99 (EMB-145MP). Distinctive features of the naval patrol version of the aircraft are the absence of a multispectral system and radar, as well as the presence of four underwing pylons for suspension of weapons (torpedoes, anti-ship missiles).
In conclusion, it should be noted that to date, the company "Embraer" has built and delivered to customers 16 aircraft of the R-99A / B family, including 11 aircraft for early warning and control R-99A, three aircraft for long-range radar surveillance R-99B and two naval patrol aircraft R-99. At the same time, the production of the R-99A modification has not been completed and today the manufacturing company has an order for two aircraft, as well as options for the supply of seven more such aircraft. The base catalog value of the R-99A / B family aircraft is about $ 80 million, and the cost of a flight hour is estimated at $ 2,000. Doll.
