Avions AEW&C

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IAI Phalcon 707

Citation:

The AWE&C phased array radar replaces the conventional rotodome radar. It is mounted either on the aircraft fuselage or on top of the aircraft inside a stationary dome, providing full 360° coverage. This electronically steered beam radar delivers a tremendous advantage over mechanical rotating antenna, as it supports the tracking a high maneuvering targets. The radar can detect even low flying objects from distances of hundreds of kilometers, day and night, under all weather conditions. Verification beams sent at specific, individual, newly detected targets eliminate false alarms. Moreover, track initiation is achieved in 2 to 4 seconds as compared to 20 to 40 seconds with a rotodome radar The IFF system employs solid state phased array technology to perform interrogation, decoding, target detection and tracking. A monopulse technique is used to implement azimuth measurement. The IFF data is automatically correlated with the phased array radar. The ESM/ELINT system receives, analyzes and locates radar signals, covering 360o. It combines high sensitivity with high probability of intercept, and achieves excellent accuracy in bearing measurement. The system uses narrow-band super-heterodyne receivers and wide-band instantaneous frequency measurement (IFM) techniques to provide very high accuracy and probability of intercept of airborne and surface emitters. Very high bearing accuracy for all received signals is achieved through Differential Time of Arrival (DTOA) measurements. The system also collects and analyzes ELINT data. The PHALCON's CSM/COMINT receives in UHF, VHF and HF, rapidly searching for airborne, shipborne or ground communications signals of interest. Selected radio nets can be monitored for signal activity. A DF capability locates targets. Detected signals can be assigned to monitoring receivers instantaneously. The system makes extensive use of computers to reduce the load on operators.

http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/aircraft/phalcon/Phalcon.html

Citation :

DATE:23/03/10
SOURCE:Flight International
Israeli air force showcases G550 surveillance fleet
By Arie Egozi

The Israeli air force has for the first time discussed the activities of a new surveillance squadron that operates a fleet of heavily modified Gulfstream G550s from Nevatim air base in the south of the country.

Now acting as the "eyes and ears" of the Israeli defence forces on an almost daily basis, the "Nachshon" squadron operates under a heavy security blanket, but Flight International correspondent Arie Egozi was recently invited to visit the unit.


In its Eitam airborne warning configuration, the G550 carries a sophisticated multi-sensor suite and six on-board operators. Israel Aerospace Industries

Over the years, the air force has used versions of transports including the Douglas DC-3, Israel Aerospace Industries Arava and Boeing 707 for missions such as airborne early warning and electronic intelligence-gathering. But faced with more sophisticated threats, the service several years ago decided to upgrade its capabilities.

It wanted something smaller and cheaper, but with much more capability than legacy systems. With the understanding that some equipment cannot be purchased on the open market, Israel's own advanced technology and determined people were called upon to deliver a cutting-edge surveillance capability.



Air force commanders held a series of long meetings with engineers from IAI, before hearing the phrase that they had waited for: "This can be done." The result was a programme to develop two special-mission variants from the G550: a business jet designed for people that have money but not time.

A visit in the passenger cabin of such an aircraft leaves a smell of fine leather in the nose and an impression of super luxury, but it was the model's other advantages of long range and high speed that formed the basis for its selection for military use.

The G550's transformation into an air force asset was not a simple task, but today Israel is operating the type in two adapted versions: the "Eitam" AEW aircraft and the "Shavit" ELINT platform. Both are equipped with technologies developed and manufactured by IAI's radar and electronic warfare subsidiary Elta Systems.

MULTI-SENSOR SUITE

For the AEW mission, the Eitam carries the company's EL/W-2085 multi-sensor suite, which comprises four conformal L- and S-band radars, plus communication and electronic support measures, communications intelligence and ELINT capabilities and identification friend-or-foe equipment, plus various other antennas mounted on the fuselage.

Surveillance data gathered by these on-board sensors is fused and continuously cross-correlated, enabling the suite to be automatically cued to search for specific targets, up to full 360° coverage.


Singapore is the first export user of the AEW platform. Singapore Defence Ministry

The AEW radar uses four main active electronically scanned array antennas for wide-area coverage and to allow an instantaneous focus to be made on selected targets of interest. Elta says the radar can be pointed at any direction at any time, with the parameters of its arrays controlled by computer. As a result, surveillance can be limited to a battle zone and other areas of interest using a much higher scan rate.

A special mode for manoeuvring and high-value targets also employs a high scan rate, with beam shapes optimised to ensure tracking performance and extended detection range. Verification beams are sent towards specific, individual and newly detected targets, eliminating false alarms, says Elta. Track initiation is achieved in 2-4s.

Visiting such a highly classified air force squadron creates a big problem for a journalist, as it is obvious that it has already been involved in all sorts of operations that will stay under security wraps for years to come.

Questions about the Nachshon unit's operations to date were met with a polite smile, but its commander, a Lt Col, eventually commented: "We can operate at any range needed to defend the security of Israel."

The data sheet for the G550 lists the business jet as having a range of 12,500km (6,750nm) and an endurance of 11h, and IAI has previously said that the Eitam can fly for over 9h above 41,000ft (12,500m).

Asked whether the squadron has performed missions across such an envelope, the commander's smile appeared again, but no details followed.

The international media has claimed that Israel launched air strikes last year to destroy a secret nuclear reactor in Syria and convoys carrying arms in Sudan before they reached Hamas militants in the Gaza strip. Asked whether his unit was involved, not even the smile remained.

Climbing aboard one of the air force's G550s inside a brand new hangar at Nevatim delivers a sharp contrast to memories of business jets and champagne. Now equipped with its radar equipment and conformal antennas on each side of its fuselage, the modified Eitam is a windowless aircraft.

Asked whether a sense of claustrophobia or suffocation can be felt during long missions, Maj G - one of the aircraft's on-board mission commanders - says it was considered a potential problem before the aircraft entered operational use. But the need to fully concentrate on the images being shown on the mission system's large screens very quickly becomes the only dominant sensation, he says.

Squadron personnel worked very closely with Elta's engineers and technicians to design a system that would provide the best performance, and the aircraft's six air controllers sit in the aft section, behind a small galley in the centre of the cabin.


Details about the performance of Israel's new Shavit Elint aircraft remain highly classified. Israel Aerospace Industries

And while all signs of the luxury normally associated with the civil G550 have been eliminated, one special comfort has been provided. The controllers' seats have been covered with a special fabric, which gives them "a more fresh and easy felling", another squadron officer says.

Although the AEW aircraft attracts the highest profile attention, the air force's ELINT-configured Shavit also delivers outstanding capabilities. Going inside the aircraft, which has also been packed with sensors, was not allowed, but sources say the new asset has "completely changed the way in which Israel is able to build the threat picture from far away".

In common with the Eitam, the ELINT aircraft carries a comprehensive self-protection system that is operated according to the known threats that it may encounter on operations. "We are very well protected," the squadron commander notes.

Now fully operational, the air force's Nachshon squadron is delivering strategic capabilities that in the past were only on Israel's wishlist. IAI has already delivered its first AEW-configured G550 to launch export customer Singapore, and views India as another near-term sales opportunity for the type.

Y a comme un air de ressemblance entre le Shavit et le AML de L.M.

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China’s Eyes in the Skies

The recent deployment of China's first four indigenous KJ-2000 AWACS aircraft marks an important milestone in the PLA Air Force’s long march from being a ‘numbers intensive’ low technology force, to a much more modern high technology one.

More fundamentally, though, the AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) extends China's deep and broad network of air defence Command Control Communications Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (C3ISR) systems into a key airborne area. In doing so, China is now acquiring the radar and passive early warning and air defence command, control and communications it needs to counter foreign fighters and cruise missiles.

Yet despite the fact that this system employs radar technology two generations ahead of that used by the US Air Force’s E-3C AWACS—generally seen as a benchmark by the rest of the world—the deployment of China’s new aircraft elicited almost no response from Washington.

Airborne C3ISR systems such as AWACS aircraft typically operate as extensions to ground-based networks of air defence radar systems and defensive Surface to Air Missile (SAM) batteries, providing forward coverage against targets that are hidden from ground-based sensors by ‘terrain shadowing’ or the earth’s curvature. Such targets can be low-flying combat aircraft, but in an increasing number of cases are likely to be low-flying cruise missiles.

So, how important a step is this new system for China? To better understand the implications, it’s useful to look at the evolution of China's air defence capabilities more generally.

During the 1950s, the Soviets exported a range of air defence equipment to China, much of which reflected what was then state-of-the-art Soviet radar technology. But the Khrushchev-era tensions put an end to that, and over time China proceeded to reverse engineer all of these Soviet designs.

By the 1970s, China was producing clones or derivatives of most of this equipment, especially ‘acquisition’ radars designed to search for aircraft that could then be targeted by SAM batteries or interceptor aircraft. This area of military technology was so valued by the PLA that in 1969 it had initiated development of an indigenous AWACS—the KJ-1. This radar design was built into a 1950s Tupolev Tu-4 Bull aircraft which itself was a reverse engineered Boeing B-29 Superfortress. This project was repeatedly disrupted by the unstable political environment, and never produced an operational capability. Still, the efforts highlight the PLA’s long-standing interest in having credible airborne C3ISR.

http://the-diplomat.com/2010/08/11/china%E2%80%99s-eyes-in-the-skies/

un joujou que j'aimerais bien voir chez nous

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Airbus Military C295 AWACS: Will It Take Off?



Airbus Military as early as next month could be flying a C295 prototype modified for use as an airborne early warning and control system following a self-funded technology assessment effort.

Three months of flight testing are planned, says Miguel-Angel Morrell Fuentes, Airbus Military Head of Engineering.

(Photo: Airbus Military concept)


It is a crowded market, but Airbus hopes that the operating cost benefits for the C295 will help it secure customers.

The feasibility study was launched in the second half of last year and concluded around year end, before a decision was taken to build the prototype.

The dummy rotodome was installed on the C295 on May 17. It measures around 6 meters in diameter. Airbus Military has opted for a rotodome because it provides better performance with 360 deg. coverage, Morrell says.

Flight testing will look at the drag effects of the radar.

No specific radar has been selected at this point. Those decisions would not be made until the company decides to actually launch a program. The engineering assessment of flight testing first needs to be completed.

aviationweek

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First Airbus Military C295 with AEW&C rotodome completes maiden flight


The first Airbus Military C295 development aircraft fitted with an Airbone Early Warning sand Command (AEW&C) rotodome has successfully completed its first flight on 7th June 2011 at Airbus Military’s site in Seville (Spain).

The flight follows extensive research and development work, including wind tunnel testing, leading to the conversion of a C295 to be fitted with the in-house developed rotodome.

The aircraft took off at 17h16 local time (15h16 UTC) and landed at 20h04 local time (18h04 UTC), after a flight lasting 2h48 (wheels off – wheels down). The experimental test pilot Alejandro Madurga captained the flight together with co-pilot Alfonso de Castro, the Flight Test Engineer Juan José Baeza, and the Test Flight Engineer Antonio Ojeda.

The objective of the trials is to verify the aerodynamic and structural impact of the rotodome on the aircraft’s overall structure, handling qualities and performance. The six metre diameter rotodome fitted for the initial trials is a fixed dummy structure. On production aircraft the rotodome would be a fast-rotating device housing a state-of-the-art radar providing full 360 degree and continuous coverage of a selected area.

“This first flight confirmed to us that the C295 is an excellent platform to support such a rotodome”, said Alejandro Maurga after the flight. The behavior of the aircraft and its flying characteristics were very satisfactory and as expected”.

Flight testing will continue during the next three months to complete the feasibility study and fully validate the concept.

Airbus Military’s C295 is an ideal platform for Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) missions. The C295 is currently used for other Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance applications such as maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare or environmental protection missions, to list just a few. The C295 is a simple but robust platform with proven reliability, used in conflict operations for defence and homeland security missions. It is adaptable to the AEW&C role thanks to its versatility and the largest cabin in its class. The in-house developed Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS) enables the integration of on-board sensors, including operation and monitoring of the future radar system and display of the
aerial picture.

The current AEW&C trials are to demonstrate the C295’s capability in this sector and thereby expand its range of applications. With the C295, Airbus Military has the tool to open up a new market segment for affordable high-performance AEW&C systems

The C295

The new generation C295 is the ideal aircraft for military transport and civic missions such as humanitarian aid, homeland security, maritime patrol, and environmental surveillance. Thanks to its robustness and reliability, and with simple systems, this medium sized tactical airlifter provides the wide versatility and flexibility required for personnel, troop and bulky/palletized cargo transportation, casualty evacuation, communication and logistic duties, or certified air-dropping capabilities. It is fitted with both civil and military technology equipment which ensures success on demanding tactical missions, as well as growth potential for future equipment installation, and compatibility with the latest civil airspace environment. The 295 is part of Airbus Military’s family of light and medium airlifters which also includes the smaller C212 and CN235 platforms.

defpro

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Saab Selects TCG LinkPRO Software for AEW&C System




Saab has awarded a contract to Tactical Communications Group (TCG) to deliver its LinkPRO software suite for the Saab airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.

Saab will use the software as a core operational component of the ERIEYE ground interface segment.

The software will facilitate rapid exchange of command, control and surveillance information between the Saab 2000 AEW&C aircraft, and command and control centres on the ground.

TCG director of strategic programmes Gary Zimmerman said the contract is one in a series over the last two years with Saab to deliver innovative C2 solutions.

LinkPRO software provides a custom configurable data link processor for enabling tactical data link (TDL) communication solutions in military communications platforms.

The software received under the contract will be fitted on the aircraft for delivery to an undisclosed customer in the Middle East.

airforce-technology

undisclosed customer?c´etait bien les saoudiens qui l´avaient acheté si je me rappel bien..

Oui Yakusa c'était bien les Saoudiens qui avait passé commande

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Russia to develop new AWACS plane


Russia hopes to develop a new airborne warning and control system (AWACS) plane by 2016, Air Force chief Col. Gen Alexander Zelin said on Tuesday.

“We are expecting to receive the A-100 aircraft built on the basis of the Il-476 transport plane with the PS-90 engine and extended flight range,” Zelin told reporters in Moscow.

The new AWACS plane will have an advanced active phase array capable of detecting and tracking airborne and land-based targets.

“We will have the carrier [Il-476] by 2013-2014 and should be able to build this plane by 2016,” Zelin said.

The Russian Air Force has around 20 A-50 Mainstay AWACS planes, based on the Ilyushin Il-76 transport.

The A-50 is equipped with the large Liana surveillance radar with its antenna in an over-fuselage rotodome and can control up to ten fighter aircraft for either air-to-air intercept or air-to-ground attack missions.

(RIA Novosti)

CASA C-295AEW est intéressant aussi ?

Beriev A-50E AEW&C













http://www.beriev.com/eng/A-50E_e/A-50E_e.html

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DUBAI: Northrop hawking the Hawkeye
By: Greg Waldron Dubai
4 hours ago
Source: flightglobal

The UAE has yet to decide on the number of airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft it plans to procure, having asked bidders to instead detail how many aircraft they think it needs, a Northrop Grumman official said.

Jerry Spruill, director UAE AEW&C programmes, discussed his company's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye offering. Citing company policy, he declined to speak on the competition's timing or process.

"In general terms, we recognise they do have a requirement, and the Advanced Hawkeye is well suited to the region if you look at the geography and threats," he said. "If you look at the heavy maritime environment here and the ranges involved, and E-2D would be very well suited."

Northrop's rivals for the requirement are the Boeing E-737 and Saab 2000 Erieye.

E-2C

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DUBAI: Boeing guns for more militarised 737s


Boeing foresees a big market for the militarised variants of the 737 commercial aircraft.

In a media briefing on the sidelines of the Dubai air show, Boeing's Egan Greenstein, senior manager of business development, surveillance and engagement, discussed the outlook for the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft and 737 airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft.

Internationally, the company sees global demand for 75 P-8s, and listed Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Norway, and Italy as candidates for the aircraft. The US navy plans to purchase 117 P-8A Poseidons, and on 1 January 2009, the Indian navy signed a contract for eight aircraft to be delivered before 2015.

© Billypix

Boeing also sees an opportunity to sell more than 15 Boeing 737 AEW&C aircraft. It listed India, the UAE and Japan as possible buyers.

All three of these prospective deals are at very early stages. The UAE appears to favour the Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye for its AEW&C requirement, but industry sources are uncertain as to when a decision will be made. Japan is for the time being content with its E-767 AEW&C aircraft, but Boeing sees the 737 AEW&C as a replacement for the country's E-2C Hawkeyes.

Greenstein also sees a large market for replacing variants of the venerable 707 variant in US military service. He said over 25 E-3 Sentry AEW&C aircraft will need to be replaced in the coming years, in addition to over 50 special missions aircraft based on the 707.

A Turkish Air Force 737 AEW&C aircraft is on static display.

flightglobal

Dubaï Air Show : le Saab-2000 AEW&C pakistanais



...

selon les emiratis,le E-2D lui serait superieur

Deux de c’est petit bijou serions les bien venue dans notre armée

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AEW-themed C-295 clears flight test phase


Airbus Military has completed initial flight test activities on an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) derivative of its C-295 medium transport, as radar supplier Elta Systems anticipates a first sale of the developmental system.

Work on the project was revealed in May 2011, before Airbus Military announced the Israel Aerospace Industries subsidiary as its programme partner at the Paris Air Show the following month. The European manufacturer also exhibited a radome-equipped demonstrator at the event.

"We have completed the flight trials and matured the aerodynamic configuration of the radome," said Fernando Ciria, Airbus Military's head of marketing and development for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. This activity has indicated that a C-295 modified for the AEW&C mission could provide an on-station endurance of up to 8h, operating at a maximum altitude of between 20,000ft (6,100m) and 24,000ft, he said.

© Airbus Military

Up to six operator consoles would be installed, using Airbus Military's fully integrated tactical system mission suite, with Elta to provide its active electronically scanned array radar and related equipment.

Ciria cited the C-295's large cabin, robust design and reliability as supporting the proposed new role, and said operators could acquire other versions of the same type to meet their air transport, maritime patrol and anti-surface/anti-submarine warfare requirements.

Elta already offers AEW&C conversions of the Gulfstream G550 business jet and Ilyushin Il-76 transport, and completed deliveries of both types in 2011 under orders with respective customers the Israeli and Indian air forces. By also equipping the C-295, the company hopes to enter a new market segment, said Avishai Izhakian, deputy general manager marketing, business development and sales for its airborne systems and radars division.

"This solution can be purchased by many more countries not accessible to us with higher-performance systems," Izhakian told IQPC's AEW and Battle Management conference in London on 17 January. "The radar is currently under advanced development, and we hope to have our first customer soon," he said, adding that production deliveries could start within three to four years of a deal being signed.

flightglobal

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Boeing EMARSS completed the 1st flight

Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft cleared to enter FAA certification program

FAIRFAX, Va., Oct. 22, 2012 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] completed the first flight of the Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS) Risk Reduction Prototype (ERRP) aircraft on Saturday, Oct. 6, a critical step required to support a comprehensive U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight test program.

The aircraft, a Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350ER, has been modified to replicate the design of the EMARSS aircraft's external fuselage. The Boeing team conducted return-to-flight maintenance checks during the 70-minute flight over Middletown, Del.

"First flight is a huge accomplishment, and I’m particularly grateful to Summit Aviation for their hard work in modifying the aircraft," said Randy Price, EMARSS program manager for Boeing. "As we analyze what we learned, we’ll continue lowering risk and improving performance, which ultimately will benefit U.S. Army warfighters who will use EMARSS' near real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities."

The FAA flight test program will validate the modified King Air prototype's flight and handling qualities. Following the FAA flight tests, the program will apply for FAA Supplemental Type Certification.

"That FAA certification supports the airworthiness release to be issued by the Army Engineering Directorate for EMARSS," Price said. "We can focus subsequent testing of the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) aircraft on the mission systems capabilities and operational aspects and qualification of the platform."

boeing.mediaroom.com

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Airbus Military begins flight test with new version of its C295 transport aircraft with winglets.



Airbus Military has begun flight-testing a modification to add winglets to the C295 medium transport and surveillance aircraft – one of a series of product developments underway on the market-leading type. The winglets, which are short extensions to the wingtips of the aircraft, have the potential to improve performance in the take-off, climb and cruise phases of flight by increasing the lift-drag ratio.

www.airrecognition.com

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Saab 2000 AEW customer signs five-year support deal

Saab has received a contract worth SKr1.1 billion ($170 million) for a five-year programme of in-service support for the Saab 2000 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system aircraft operated by an undisclosed nation.
Signed on 21 March, the deal will cover the aircraft and their Saab Microwave Systems Erieye active electronically scanned array radars through to 2017, and "concerns a comprehensive set of spares and support services", the Swedish company says.

Saab

Flightglobal's MiliCAS database records Pakistan as being the only nation with an active fleet of Saab 2000 surveillance aircraft. Its air force flies four AEW&C-roled examples, and has an additional example in use as a transport. Islamabad's aircraft originally entered use as regional airliners between 1995 and 1997, according to MiliCAS, but were converted for the airborne early warning mission and delivered from late 2009.
With a mission endurance of almost 10h and five on-board operator stations, the aircraft can perform surveillance tasks from an altitude of more than 30,000ft (9,150m).
MiliCAS also lists the Royal Saudi Air Force as having ordered one Saab 2000 each in the AEW&C and military transport configurations, but says these are not in use.

http://www.flightglobal.com

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Indian Defence Technologies on display at Bahrain International Airshow



India is showcasing during the Bahrain International Airshow, its state-of-the-art airborne platforms and associated sensors & communication systems designed and developed by Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO).

DRDO, along with some of its production partners is displaying India’s strength and expertise in design, development and leading to production at the ‘Bahrain International Airshow’ being held at Sakhir Airbase, Bahrain from 16 – 18 Jan 2014, with the aim of exploring the potential of exporting these advanced systems to friendly countries in the region.

The show will witness flying demonstration of the ‘AEW&C India’ the latest and state of the art Airborne Early Warning and Control system that can detect, identify and classify threats present in the surveillance area and act as a command and control centre to support variety of air operations.

The system with its multiple Communication and data links can alert and direct fighters against such threats while providing “Recognizable Air Surface Picture” to the Commanders at the Ground Exploitation Stations. It also comprises of electronic and communication support measures that intercept and classify unfriendly radar transmissions and communication signals.



"AEW&C India" with Mission Systems developed by DRDO with modular design and seamlessly integrated on an Embraer 145 aircraft provides a very cost effective solution for C4ISR capabilities. It is based on modern state of art technologies and can be adapted to the needs of any country.

DRDO is also displaying models of Light Combat Aircraft ‘TEJAS’, the ‘Four plus’ generation and highly cost effective fighter aircraft designed and developed by the Department of Defence R&D of the Ministry of Defence and being produced by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Models of trainer and the Naval versions are also on display.

The other items include models of ‘Expendable high Speed Aerial Target’, ‘NISHANT’, the multi mission UAV with Day and Night operational capability for battlefield surveillance & reconnaissance, target tracking & localization and artillery fire correction and OBOGS (On Board Oxygen Generation System)

http://e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp?src=news_section.Press_Release.Press_Release_2014.Indian_Defence_Technologies_on_display_at_Bahrain_International_Airshow_20140117

http://drdo.gov.in/drdo/English/dpi/press_release/AEW&C_20092012.pdf

Chine, test en soufflerie d une  maquette du Sukhoi S-80 avec radar aeroportée :

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Then a 2009 journal article from China's Northwestern University featured a wind tunnel study of a Russian Sukhoi S-80 twin-boom turboprop with "saucer" and "beam" radar configurations, suggesting an alternate future AWACS for Chinese aircraft carriers."

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/aew-prc.htm