Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS)

An airborne platform for military command and control and distant early warning, sometimes referred to as “the eye in the sky.” The first AWACS jets, manufactured by Boeing, were put into service in 1977. Currently, two types of AWACS planes are used by the U.S. Air Force, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United Kingdom, France, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.

The E-3 AWACS is a militarized version of the Boeing 707-320B commercial jetliner. Production of these AWACS jets ended in May 1991. Later that same year, Boeing began to use a militarized version of the larger 767-200 commercial jetliner as the AWACS platform. The 767 has much more floor space, can carry larger payloads, has a greater range, and flies at higher altitudes than the E-3.

The AWACS surveillance system is housed in the large rotating dome above the plane's fuselage, which gives the aircraft its unique profile. The dome contains the system's radar antenna and identification friend or foe and data-link fighter-control antennae.

Flexible, multimode radar allows AWACS to separate and track marine and airborne targets and to distinguish targets from ground and sea clutter. This is a strategic advantage over other radar systems. The system's “look down” radar, which has a 360-degree view of the horizon, can detect and track targets more than 200 miles away when operating at appropriate altitudes. Computers on the AWACS aircraft can separate, manage, and display these targets on individual screens.

The AWACS jets can detect, track, and intercept hostile aircraft operating at low altitudes over all types of terrain while identifying and controlling friendly aircraft in the same airspace. Since 1995, AWACS planes have been equipped with electronic support measures (ESM), a passive listening and detection system that can detect, identify, and track electronic transmissions from ground, airborne, and marine sources. Using ESM, AWACS mission specialists can determine the type of radar and weapon systems being used by hostile forces. Another improvement completed in 1994 was an improved communication system providing secure, antijam radio contact with other AWACS, friendly aircraft, and ground stations.

The AWACS are extremely mobile and can be deployed rapidly in any combat situation. Tactically, the planes provide quick-reaction surveillance and command-and-control functions necessary to manage tactical and defensive fighter forces, including F-15, F-18, and F-22 squadrons.

The newer 767-based AWACS are capable of speeds of more than 500 mph. The jets are operated by a two-person flight crew with a complement of 19 AWACS mission specialists. The plane has a range of 5,600 nautical miles, which can be extended through in-flight refueling. The AWACS jets operate with a service altitude of 34,000–40,100 feet.

The United States, NATO, Saudi Arabia, France, and the United Kingdom currently operate 66 E-3 AWACS aircraft worldwide. Japan has also contracted with Boeing for four AWACS jets. Boeing is currently building 767-based replacements for the E-3 fleet.

The AWACS fleet is viewed as a significant deterrent for aggression and an “eye in the sky” during conflicts or potentially explosive situations. They have been successfully deployed in Europe, the Far East, [Page 11]and the Middle East. During the first Gulf War (1990–1991), 11 U.S. and five Saudi Arabian AWACS jets were deployed and played an integral part in surveillance, directing air strikes, interdicting Iraqi airplanes, coordinating refueling, and protecting aircraft conducting intelligence and ground surveillance. Nearly 850 AWACS sorties were flown over Iraq, and the planes were instrumental in downing all of the 41 Iraqi aircraft shot down during the war.

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