AWACS Questions

**BenRoethig** · 15 Mar 10,, 07:22

The ones in the panels are newer phased array types while the rotordomes are older mechanically scanned radars. What does this tell us, honestly not a whole lot. The erieye's radar is far less powerful and mounted on a small airframe so being a newer type isn't going to make it better than the larger power radar on an E-3.

**Jimmy** · 15 Mar 10,, 16:51

Originally Posted by zraver

Uhmmm

from my post

In India's case rather than mount the various sensors in pods around the aircraft the A-50 has already been flight tested with a top mounted radardome so it makes sense to use the existing and proven radardome as the housing for the Phalcon AESA system.

The Indian variant probably has a different reporting name than Mainstay. But the A-50 is the first rotodome jet I think of after the E-3.

**bull** · 01 Apr 10,, 11:06

India is negotiating for more 9 A50 Awacs.

**Zaitsev** · 01 Apr 10,, 15:28

This is A-50 Phalcon KW-3552, the second AWACS, delivered to the Indian Air Force last week. The first, KW-3551, arrived in May last year.

Dosent India already have 3 A 50's on order?

**Jimmy** · 02 Apr 10,, 00:52

I don't know if it counts as irony or not, but I get a chuckle out of the tail number of that jet. The USAF AWACS wing is the 552 ACW.

**Aryajet** · 04 Apr 10,, 21:57

Originally Posted by TopHatter

Yeah, that's about as close as it gets (A-6A in 1963 and EA-6A in 1968) and the Prowlers are being phased out and replaced by the EA-18G right now (Two (or 3?) squadrons in active service as of last month)

The Hawkeye will probably go down in history like the B-52 and C-130! (and sadly the KC-135 as well)

Boeing Vertol CH-47 Chinook shall not be ignord?

**Chocolate** · 02 May 10,, 03:15

Originally Posted by Jimmy

That's not necessarily true, you still have to have a transmitter/receiver array facing in every direction to get full coverage. You could very easily mount one planar array inside a rotating dome. It would still be AESA, but with the old-school update rate.

Edit: VVV My point was mainly that if you didn't want to use a rotodome, you'd need multiple arrays to maintain 360 coverage. Personally I like rotodome systems better.

Off the top of my head, AESA is lighter, cheaper; the antenna can be partitioned into sub arrays, greater side lobe suppression, AESA radars are predicted to outlast the airframe since the array MMIC element has a long MBTF of up to 1500 hrs. The Indian Phalcon is a triangular array it is not mechanically steered. The APY-9 on the Hawkeye E-2 D may be the only mechanically steered airborne AESA in existence.

**2DREZQ** · 30 May 10,, 06:24

How does the AWACS pass the info on to the fighters?

**bigross86** · 30 May 10,, 10:07

I'm guessing an encrypted uplink to just stream the information. In theory, it's probably not much different than having a wireless network in your house, just a lot more powerful, a lot more data, and much heavier encryption