E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS)

E-3 Sentry Warning and Control System (AWACS) Target Mission

Provide all-weather surveillance, command, control, and communications needed by commanders of U.S., NATO, and other allied air defense forces.

E-3 Sentry Airborne

Description
The E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft provides responsive and flexible real-time command and control/battle management in support of worldwide operational employment of U.S. and coalition forces. AWACS provides persistent and survivable surveillance, battle management, weapons control, threat warning, and combat ID information in support of commander taskings.

E-3 Sentry Airborne

It gives commanders a self-contained and worldwide, around-the-clock capability to prosecute air and ground campaigns. The E-3 Sentry is a modified Boeing 707/320 commercial airframe with a rotating radar dome. The radar combined with an identification friend or foe subsystem can look down to detect, identify, and track enemy and friendly low-flying aircraft by eliminating ground clutter returns that confuse other radar systems. Other major subsystems in the E-3 include navigation, communications, computers (data processing), and displays.

Specifications

Size 

 Length: 145 ft., 8 in. (44 m); Wingspan: 130 ft., 10 in.

(39.7 m); Height: 41 ft., 4 in. (12.5 m)

Weight  

347,000 lb. (156,150 kg)

Range  

More than eight hours (unrefueled)

Coverage

The radar has a range of more than 250 miles (375.5 km) for

low-flying targets and farther for aerospace vehicles flying

at medium to high altitudes

 Acquisition Status


Program Status :  The AWACS Block 40/45 Upgrade is in the middle of System Development and Demonstration (SDD). It includes several projects aimed at reducing operator workload, providing a fused air picture to the warfighter, and transmitting that air picture off-board in a more timely manner Integrated.
Demand Assigned Multiple Access (DAMA) Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) (IDG) expands user availability of severely limited DoD UHF SATCOM channels through the use of DAMA and meets mandate for International Civil Aviation compliance on near-term air traffic control navigation requirements. The AWACS fleet is currently being modified with IDG.

Unit Assignment : 552 Air Control Wing, Tinker AFB, OK

Current Inventory : 32 operational aircraft and 1 test aircraft

Posted in: U.S Air force