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List of AEW&C aircraft operators

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alt= A white plane with one propellor under each wing and a large disc on top of the fuselage is flying over an industrial landscape.

A US Navy E-2C Hawkeye flies over NAS Point Mugu.

Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft are airborne radar systems designed to detect and track aircraft, missiles and ships and provide control for friendly weapons systems and aircraft for interception. This differs from AEW aircraft and helicopters, which can detect and track, but lack command and control facilities, instead relaying the data to such facilities.[1] Used at high altitudes, the systems allow the operators to detect, track and identify aircraft hundreds of miles away, as well as determine altitude[2] The system is used offensively to direct fighters and bombers to target locations and defensively for intercepting incoming bogeys. Modern AEW&C systems can detect aircraft from up to 250 miles (400 km) away, out of range of most surface-to-air missiles. One AEW&C aircraft flying at 30,000 feet (9,100 m) can cover an area of 120,460 square miles (312,000 km2). Three such aircraft in overlapping orbits can cover the whole of Central Europe.[2] In air-to-air combat, AEW&C systems can communicate with friendly aircraft, extending the sensor range and reducing the detectability of combat aircraft, since they no longer need their own active radar to detect threats.[2]

The AEW aircraft appeared for the first time during World War 2 when air search radar units were installed in bombers such as the Vickers Wellington and later the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress to extend the range of ground based radars, after earlier, more primitive radars had proven successful in tracking ships. During the Cold War, the cost remained prohibitive however it came to be seen as essential for air defence, particularly by the United States which was responsible for developing it into a mature system with the AWACS mounted on a Boeing E-3 Sentry. In the last decade, reductions in the cost of electronics and improvements in performance has seen many low-cost platforms come on the market which saw an enormous growth in this area.[3] It is expected that in the near future the evolution of phased array radars, as well as rivalries between Asian nations such as India and Pakistan or China and Taiwan will further push demand for AEW&C aircraft.[4]

Present AEW&C operators[]

Americas[]

USAF Boeing E-3 Sentry.

US Air Force Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS.

A grey plane with two engines in the rear and a radar on top stays on the ground inside an airfield.

Mexican Air Force Embraer EMB-145.

Operator Aircraft Unit(s) Base(s) Total
Brazil Brazilian Air Force [5] Embraer R-99A 6th Aviation Group Anápolis 5
Chile Chilean Air Force [5] Boeing 707-385C 10th Aviation Group Santiago 1[nb 1]
Mexico Mexican Air Force [5] Embraer 145AEW&C
Embraer 145RS/GS
Fairchild C-26A 		Sistema Integral de Vigilancia Aérea, 501th Squadron Military Air Base No. 1, Santa Lucía 1
2
4
United States United States Air Force [5] Boeing E-3B/C Sentry 3rd Wing
18th Wing
552nd Wing 		Tinker
Elmendorf
Kadena 		32
United States United States Navy [5] E-2C-I/II Hawkeye several Norfolk
Point Mugu
Atsugi[nb 2] 		55
Total — — — 97

Asia & Oceania[]

Beriev A-50EI Mainstay2009

Indian Air Force Beriev A-50 EL/W-2090 AEW&C

A stationary grey plane, with a grey bar-shaped radar antenna on top of the fuselage, is on display during an air show.

Saab 2000 Erieye AEW&C built for the Pakistan Air Force.

JASDF Boeing E-767

Boeing E-767 of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force.

Operator Aircraft Unit(s) Base(s) Total
Australia Royal Australian Air Force[5][6] Boeing 737 AEW&C No. 2 Squadron RAAF Williamtown 6
China People's Liberation Army Air Force[5] KJ-2000 26th Air Division Chongming Island 4
North Korea Korean People's Air Force[7] Antonov An-24 Unknown Unknown 1
India Indian Air Force[5] Ilyushin Il-76 A-50EI No. 50 Squadron Agra 3[nb 3]
Japan Japan Air Self-Defense Force[5][9] Boeing E-767
E-2C Hawkeye 2000T 		AEW Group Hamamatsu
Misawa 		4[nb 4]
13
Pakistan Pakistan Air Force [5][10][11] Saab 2000 Erieye
ZDK-03 K. Eagle [10][11][12] 		No. 13 Squadron [13]
No. 4 Squadron 		PAF Base Minhas
PAF Base Masroor 		3[14]
4
Taiwan Republic of China Air Force[5] E-2T/K Hawkeye 2nd Squadron, 20th Group Pingtung 6
South Korea Republic of Korea Air Force Boeing 737 AEW&C 5th Tactical Airlift Wing Gimhae Air Base 4[15]
Singapore Republic of Singapore Air Force[5] E-2C Hawkeye 111th Squadron Tengah 4[nb 5]
Thailand Royal Thai Air Force Saab S100B 702nd Squadron, 7th Wing Surat Thani 2
Total — — — 34

Europe & Middle East[]

Operator Aircraft Unit(s) Base(s) Total
Egypt Egyptian Air Force[5] E-2C Hawkeye 2000T 87th Squadron, 601st AEW Brigade Cairo-West 6
France French Air Force[5] Boeing E-3F Sentry 00.036 Squadron Avord 4
France French Navy[5] E-2C Hawkeye[nb 6] 4th Flotilla Charles de Gaulle 3 or 4
Greece Hellenic Air Force[5][17] EMB-145H 380th Squadron Elefsis 4
Israel Israeli Air Force Gulfstream G550 CAEW[nb 7] 122nd Squadron Nevatim 3[18]
NATO NATO[2][5] Boeing E-3A NATO AEW&C Force Command Geilenkirchen 17
Russia Russian Air Force[5][19] Beriev A-50 2457th AB SDRLO[nb 8] Ivanovo Severny 16
Saudi Arabia Royal Saudi Air Force[5] Boeing E-3A 18th Squadron, 6th Wing Prince Sultan 5
Sweden Swedish Air Force[5][20] Saab S100B 17 Wing Kallinge 6
United Kingdom Royal Air Force[5][21] Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW.1 8/23/54 Squadrons Waddington 6
Total — — — 70

Future operators[]

Operator Aircraft Date Quantity
United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Air Force Saab S100B 2011–2012 2
India Indian Air Force[5] DRDO AEW&CS

Ilyushin Il-76 A-50EI

2013

2014

3

3

Italy Aeronautica Militare EL/W-2085 2015 2
Turkey Turkish Air Force[5][22] Boeing 737 AEW&C 2012 4

Historical AEW operators[]

Operator Aircraft Dates Quantity
Soviet Union Soviet Air Forces Antonov An-71 1985-1991 3
United Kingdom Royal Air Force Avro Shackleton AEW.2 1972-1991 12
United States US Navy Boeing PB-1W Flying Fortress 1946-1955 22
United Kingdom Royal Air Force British Aerospace Nimrod AEW3 1982-1986 11
United States US Navy Douglas A-1W Skyraider 1950- 368
United Kingdom Fleet Air Arm Douglas Skyraider AEW.I 1951-1962 50
United Kingdom Fleet Air Arm Fairey Gannet AEW.3 1959-1978 44
United States US Navy Grumman AF-2W Guardian 1950-1955 153
United States US Navy Grumman TBM-3W Avenger 1945-1950[23] 40
United Kingdom Fleet Air Arm Grumman Avenger AEW 1951-1955
United States US Navy Grumman E-1 Tracer 1958-1977 88
United States US Navy & USAF Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star 1954-1982 232
Soviet Union Soviet Air Forces Tupolev Tu-126 1965-1984 12 ca.
United Kingdom Royal Air Force Vickers Wellington 1944-1945 2+

Notes[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Early Warning Aircraft (AEW/AWACS).
Footnotes
  1. ↑ Phalcon radar used.
  2. ↑ These are home bases for US carrier aircraft.[5]
  3. ↑ Using EL/W-2090 radar, 2 out of 3 delivered.[8]
  4. ↑ One more aircraft on order.[9]
  5. ↑ To be replaced by 4 Gulfstream G550.[16]
  6. ↑ Used by French Naval Aviation.[5]
  7. ↑ Using EL/W-2085 radar
  8. ↑ Air Base of Long Range Radiolocation Detection Aircraft.[19]
Citations
  1. ↑ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/aew.htm
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "AWACS: NATO’s eyes in the sky". NATO official website. 4 June 2007. http://nato-otan.org/issues/awacs/practice.html. Retrieved 8 September 2009.  [dead link]
  3. ↑ Air Forces Monthly
  4. ↑ Air Forces Monthly, p. 95.
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21 5.22 5.23 5.24 Air Forces Intelligence, Air Forces Monthly magazine, August 2008 issue, p. 91.
  6. ↑ Blenkin, Max (13 July 2009). "Wedgetail on track for November delivery". WAtoday. http://www.watoday.com.au/breaking-news-world/wedgetail-on-track-for-november-delivery-20090713-di5r.html. Retrieved 11 September 2009. 
  7. ↑ Bermudez, J. (April 2011). "MiG-29 in KPAF Service". p. 2. 
  8. ↑ "Indian air force gets Awacs plane". Shiv Aroor. 26 March 2010. http://livefist.blogspot.com/2010/03/photos-second-phalcon-awacs-kw-3552-on.html. Retrieved 26 March 2010. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, 15 January 2007.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Francis, Leithen (07/05/10). "Pakistan to get Chinese AEW&C aircraft this year". Flight International. flightglobal.com. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/05/07/341584/pakistan-to-get-chinese-aewc-aircraft-this-year.html. Retrieved 7 May 2010. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Pakistan Surmounts Sanctions To Revive Airpower". Defense News. 2009-02-09. http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3938427. Retrieved 2010-05-09. 
  12. ↑ "`Karakoram Eagle` inducted into PAF". DawnNews.com (archives). Dawn Media. 13 November 2011. http://archives.dawn.com/archives/38868. Retrieved 14 December 2012. 
  13. ↑ Warnes, Alan (July 2010). "On The Edge". United Kingdom: Key Publishing Limited. p. Page 59. http://www.airforcesmonthly.com/view_issue.asp?ID=744. Retrieved 9 July 2010. "Pakistan's first Saab 2000 Erieye entered service on 29 December 2009. A second example followed in April with 2 more to follow by year's end." 
  14. ↑ http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-159025-Tax-payers-kept-in-the-dark-about-loss-of-plane-worth-$250m
  15. ↑ http://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EB%8C%80%ED%95%9C%EB%AF%BC%EA%B5%AD_5%EC%A0%84%EC%88%A0%EA%B3%B5%EC%88%98%EB%B9%84%ED%96%89%EB%8B%A8
  16. ↑ "Singapore to Replace Hawkeye With G550 AEW". Defense Update. 8 May 2007. http://www.defense-update.com/newscast/0507/news_080507.htm#g550. Retrieved 9 September 2009. 
  17. ↑ "Embraer EMB-145H AEW&C". Hellenic Air Force official website. http://www.haf.gr/en/mission/weapons/emb-145.asp. Retrieved 10 September 2009. 
  18. ↑ "The Military Balance 2010". Page 256. International Institute for Strategic Studies, February 3, 2010.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Force Report: Russian Air Force, Air Forces Monthly magazine, July 2007 issue, p. 82.
  20. ↑ "S100B Argus Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft, Sweden". airforce-technology.com. http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/s100b_argus/. Retrieved 14 September 2009. 
  21. ↑ Force Report: Royal Air Force at Ninthy, Air Forces Monthly magazine, April 2008 issue, p. 44.
  22. ↑ "737 AEW&C Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft, USA". airforce-technology.com. http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/737aewc/. Retrieved 14 September 2009. 
  23. ↑ http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_eastern_TBM-3W_Avenger.html

References[]

  • Eyes in the Skies - All the World's AWACS, Air Forces Monthly magazine, August 2008 issue.
  • Lloyd, Alwyn T. (1987). Boeing 707 and AWACS in detail and scale - D&S Vol. 23. Shrewsbury, UK: Aero Publishers. ISBN 978-0830685332. 
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