List of AWACS aircraft operators

Airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft are airborne radar systems designed to detect aircraft.[nb 1] Used at high altitudes, the systems allow the operators to detect and distinguish aircraft hundreds of miles away, during defensive or offensive operations.[1] The system is used offensively to direct fighters to their target locations and defensively for counter attacks. Modern AWACS systems can detect aircraft from up to 250 miles (400 km) away, well out of range of most surface-to-air missiles. One AWACS plane 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.[1] In air-to-air combat, AWACS systems can communicate with friendly aircraft, extend their sensor range and give them added stealth, since they no longer need their own active radar to detect threats.[1]

The AWACS aircraft appeared for the first time during the Cold War, when such an asset was largely a superpower luxury.[2] However, in the last decade many low-cost platforms have come on to the market which saw an enormous growth in this area.[2] 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 be pushing the demand for AWACS aircraft in the region.[3]

Contents

Present AWACS operators

Americas

Operator Aircraft Tail Numbers Unit Airbase Total

Brazilian Air Force [4]		 Embraer R-99A 6700 to 6704 6th Aviation Group Anápolis 5

Chilean Air Force [4]		 Boeing 707-385C 904 10th Aviation Group Santiago 1[nb 2]

Mexican Air Force [4]		 EMB-145SA
E-2C Hawkeye		 4101
AMP-100 to AMP-102		 AEW Squadron 1st Airbase
Tapachula		 1
3

United States Air Force [4]		 Boeing E-3B/C Sentry various 3rd Wing
18th Wing
552nd Wing		 Tinker
Elmendorf
Kadena		 32

United States Navy [4]		 E-2C-I/II Hawkeye various several Norfolk
Point Mugu
Atsugi[nb 3]		 55
Total — — — — 97

Africa

Operator Aircraft Tail Numbers Unit Airbase Total
Egyptian Air Force[4] E-2C Hawkeye 2000T 162792, 162824
162825, 163025
163565, 164626		 87th Squadron, 601st AEW Brigade Cairo-West 6
Total — — — — 6

Asia

Operator Aircraft Tail Numbers Unit Airbase Total

People's Liberation Army Air Force [4]		 KJ-2000 30070-30074 26th Air Division Chongming Island 4

Indian Air Force [4]		 EL/M-2075 KW-3551, KW-3552, KW-3553 No. 50 Squadron Agra 3[nb 4]

Israeli Air Force [4]		 Gulfstream G550 CAEW 017, 514, 537, 544 & 569 122nd Squadron Nevatim 5[nb 5]

Japan Air Self-Defense Force [4][7]		 Boeing E-767 64-3501 & 64-3502
74-3503 & 84-3504		 AEW Group Hamamatsu 4[nb 6]

Pakistan Air Force
[8] [4] [9]		 Saab 2000 Erieye SE-045 No. 13 Squadron [10] 4

Republic of China Air Force [4][11]		 E-2T/K Hawkeye 2501 to 2506[nb 7] 2nd Squadron, 20th Group Pingtung 6

Royal Saudi Air Force [4]		 Boeing E-3A 1801 to 1805 18th Squadron, 6th Wing Prince Sultan 5

Republic of Singapore Air Force [4]		 E-2C Hawkeye 011, 012, 014 & 015 111th Squadron Tengah 4[nb 8]
Total — — — — 30

Europe

Operator Aircraft Tail Numbers Unit Airbase Total

French Air Force
[4]		 Boeing E-3F Sentry 201 to 204 00.036 Squadron Avord 4

French Navy
[4]		 E-2C Hawkeye[nb 9] 1–3 4th Flotilla Charles de Gaulle 3

Hellenic Air Force
[4] [13]		 EMB-145H 374, 671, 729 & 757 380th Squadron Elefsis 4
NATO
[1] [4]		 Boeing E-3A LX-N90442 to LX-N90456
LX-N90458 & LX-N90459		 NAEW&CF NATO Geilenkirchen 17

Russian Air Force
[4] [14]		 Beriev A-50 ? 2457th AB SDRLO[nb 10] Ivanovo Severny 16

Swedish Air Force
[4] [15]		 Saab S100B 10002 to 10007 17 Wing Kallinge 6

Royal Air Force
[4] [16]		 Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW.1 ZH101 to ZH107 8/23/54 Squadrons RAF Waddington 6
Total — — — — 56

Future operators

Operator Aircraft Date Quantity

Royal Australian Air Force [4]		 Boeing 737 AEW&C (A30-001 to A30-006) November 2009–2010[17] 6

Pakistan Air Force [8][9]		 Shaanxi ZDK-03 2010 4

South Korean Air Force [4]		 Boeing 737 AEW&C 2011–2012[18] 4

Royal Thai Air Force [4]		 Saab S100B 2010–2013[19] 2

United Arab Emirates Air Force		 Saab S100B 2011–2012 2

Indian Air Force[4]		 DRDO AEW&CS 2013 3

Turkish Air Force[4][20]		 Boeing 737 AEW&C 4

Notes

Footnotes
  1. ^ Please note that this list excludes airborne surveillance helicopters, as they lack command capabilities and have more limited AEW capabilities.
  2. ^ Phalcon radar used.
  3. ^ These locations are the home bases of the aircraft; most aircraft are based on US aircraft carriers.[4]
  4. ^ Using Phalcon radar, 2 out of 3 delivered.[5]
  5. ^ Using Phalcon radar, 1 more aircraft on order.[6]
  6. ^ One more aircraft on order.[7]
  7. ^ 2501 to 2504 are E-2T variant, while 2505 and 2506 are E-2K.[11]
  8. ^ To be replaced in the foreseeable future by 4 Gulfstream G550.[12]
  9. ^ Used by French Naval Aviation.[4]
  10. ^ Air Base of Long Range Radiolocation Detection Aircraft.[14]
Citations
  1. ^ a b c d "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. 
  2. ^ a b Air Forces Monthly, p. 88.
  3. ^ Air Forces Monthly, p. 95.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Air Forces Intelligence, Air Forces Monthly magazine, August 2008 issue, p. 91.
  5. ^ "Indian air force gets Awacs plane". BBC News. 28 May 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8072143.stm. Retrieved 9 September 2009. 
  6. ^ "The Institute for National Security Studies", chapter Israel, 2009, [1] June 17, 2009.
  7. ^ a b "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, 15 January 2007.
  8. ^ a b Francis, Leithen (07/05/10). "Pakistan to get Chinese AEW&C aircraft this year" (in English). 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. 
  9. ^ a b "Pakistan Surmounts Sanctions To Revive Airpower". Defense News. 2009-02-09. http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3938427. Retrieved 2010-05-09. 
  10. ^ Warnes, Alan (July 2010). "On The Edge" (in English). Air Forces Monthly (United Kingdom: Key Publishing Limited) (July 2010): Page 59. http://www.airforcesmonthly.com/view_issue.asp?ID=744. Retrieved 09 July 2010. "After years of trying to acquire a much needed airborne early warning platform, Pakistan's first Saab 2000 Erieye was officially inducted into service, with 13 Squadron, on December 29, 2009. A second example followed in late April and the third and fourth will follow by the end of the year." 
  11. ^ a b "E-2T/K Taiwan". GlobalSecurity.org. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/e-2t.htm. Retrieved 14 September 2009. 
  12. ^ "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. 
  13. ^ "Embraer EMB-145H AEW&C". Hellenic Air Force official website. http://www.haf.gr/en/mission/weapons/emb-145.asp. Retrieved 10 September 2009. 
  14. ^ a b Force Report: Russian Air Force, Air Forces Monthly magazine, July 2007 issue, p. 82.
  15. ^ "S100B Argus Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft, Sweden". airforce-technology.com. http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/s100b_argus/. Retrieved 14 September 2009. 
  16. ^ Force Report: Royal Air Force at Ninthy, Air Forces Monthly magazine, April 2008 issue, p. 44.
  17. ^ 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. 
  18. ^ "Final Nod to Boeing Completes E-X Project at Last". Chosun. 19 November 2006. http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200611/200611090009.html. Retrieved 19 September 2009. 
  19. ^ "Gripen agreement between Sweden and Thailand signed". SAAB Technologies. 11 February 2008. http://www.gripen.com/en/MediaRelations/News/2008/080211_th_signing.htm. Retrieved 14 September 2009. 
  20. ^ "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. 

References