AWACS

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Kong Jiang-1 – The B-29 Superfortress AWACS

One of the stranger stories in aviation history is how the Boeing B-29 Superfortress became an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft – not for the USAF, but for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

Only one prototype

 

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Although not an AWAC, but more of an airborne radar, which , fulfills the requirements of min. mid range i.e. 200Nm, low level / small rcs threats, such as drones and CM's, at a fraction of the cost of an aircraft borne radar, are the "Aerostat Radar Systems".

It's coverage is not limited to just low flying threats, but all flying threats, as well as ground / sea threats, plus communication relays, if configured to do so, as is the case with Atlas systems.

Usually filled with Helium, they have been known to be deployed up to 15,000ft.

They have been deployed at sea as well, but due to rapid weather changes have proved to be challenging.

With Drone tech evolving rapidly, this technology might become obsolete within a matter of years.


Basic Concept



Israeli Atlas Specs



ELTA ENA-2083 radar



A US Border Surveillance post

 

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also operated by Dept of Homeland Security

 

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Interior of a Russian Air Force A-50 AWACS plane

 

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AN-71 Soviet AWACS

Did not go into production. IP rights held by Ukraine, after demise of USSR.

 

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TBM-3W2. The US Navy's first AWACS

 

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USN - PB-1W Cadillac II

 

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Soviet Tupolev TU-126

 

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Sikorsky HR2S-1W - an AEW variant of the CH-37 Mojave.

 

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The Yakovlev Yak-44 was a proposed twin-turboprop Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft, the Yak-44 was canceled after the demise of the Soviet Union. A full-scale mockup with foldable wings was built.

 

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Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star

Years In Service: 1951-1982

Initial Flight: June 9, 1949

The EC-121 provided early warning by detecting and tracking enemy aircraft with the electronic gear in the large radomes above and below its fuselage and was employed by the United States Air Force and the United States Navy from the mid-1950s to the last aircraft retiring from the Air Force in 1976 and the U. S. Navy in 1982. EC-121s provided a crucial early warning air defense system to guard against Soviet surprise attacks during the early and middle years of the Cold War, notably during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962

Height: 27′
Wingspan: 126′ 2″
Length: 116′ 2″
Crew: Up to 17
Powerplant: Wright R-3350
Horsepower: 3,400 hp
No. of Engines: 4
Cruise speed: 240 mph
Max Speed: 290 mph
Ceiling: 18,000 ft

 

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Initially developed for the Royal Australian Air Force under Project Wedgetail, the E-7 has since been adopted (or chosen) by the air forces of South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and NATO, that will use the Wedgetail to replace its fleet of 14 E-3 AWACS with the first delivery planned in 2031.

Cost: US$4.92bn for systems

Details:
U.S. Approves $4.92 Billion Sale of E-7 AEW&C Aircraft to South Korea
Nov 06, 2024

 

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KJ500 for Chinese Navy - PLAN



KJ500 for Chinese Air Force - PLAAF

 

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Nimrod AEW3, one of a small batch of Nimrod aircraft converted to this configuration before the program was abandoned in favor of the U.S-built E-3 Sentry AWACS.






Shackleton AEW2 at RAF Alconbury


The first iteration of the Shackleton to enter service was the MR1, seen in RAF Coastal Command service in 1953.,

 

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UK Royal Navy Fairey Gannet AEW.3​