AIRBORNE TRACKER

Indigenous efforts towards AEW&C and AWACS platforms need to be stepped up even as international programmes extend the current state-of-the-art for such aircraft, highlights

- ATUL CHANDRA

The use of airborne early warning systems will play a key role in future air combat, especially in India's Eastern Sector. Airborne early warning platforms are divided into Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) and Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems (AEW&C), with the latter being far more capable but much more expensive to procure, operate and maintain. AWACS and AEW&C systems perform as a command and control station in the air for control and directing the fighters during large fleet engagements and carry the battle management functions or alternatively act like a network-centric node in the Integrated Air Command and Control of the IAF and interfaces the data over the datalinks to contribute for the air situation picture of the Integrated Command and Control Station (IACCS).

However, with the IAF already having inducted 36 Dassault Aviation Rafale fighter jets and soon to induct the Tejas Mk-1A, it urgently requires airborne early warning assets, to ensure complete battlespace awareness for these fighter aircraft. The presence of AEW&C and AWACS aircraft will also dramatically enhance the combat capability of the IAF's older generation fighter aircraft, such as the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI, MiG-29 UPG, Mirage 2000 I/TI and Sepecat Jaguar.

AEW&C and AWACS platforms have also been in the news recently, with Ukraine announcing the shootdown of a Russian Air Force A-50 AWACS platform and an IL-22 airborne command post. The A-50s are a vital asset within the Russian military due to their ability to look deep into enemy territory and provide airborne command and control. The destruction of these two aircraft is said to have significantly impacted the operational effectiveness of Russian air power over Ukrainian airspace.