Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Surveillance Systems
A Heritage of Leadership
The E-3 Sentry is an Airborne Warning
and Control System (AWACS) aircraft
that provides all-weather surveillance,
Command, Control and Communications
needed by commanders of air tactical
forces. Proven in wartime operations such
as Desert Storm, Allied Force and more
recently Enduring Freedom, as well as
ongoing peacekeeping and humanitarian
efforts, AWACS is the premier air battle
command and control aircraft in the
world today.
Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems
(ES) has a long heritage in the
development and production of Airborne
Early Warning (AEW) radars. As the
supplier to Boeing for the AN/APY-1 and
AN/APY-2 radar systems used on the E-3,
and the AN/APY-2 radar system used on E-3 AWACS: The world leader in airborne surveillance, proven in times of war and peace
the E-767, ES has continued as a leader in
the development of radar technology for stabilization of the beam for proper spatial and lower the life-cycle cost of the AWACS
airborne applications. coverage as the aircraft maneuvers. radar, while improving reliability.
Mounted atop the aircraft fuselage in The first production AWACS system on Northrop Grumman is committed to
a rotating dome, the AWACS S-band a modified Boeing 707 aircraft was making the best even better, and to
(E-F band) surveillance radar is able to delivered in 1977. This system is now in maintaining superior AWACS performance
survey, in 10-second intervals, a volume of service with the U.S. Air Force, the North against tomorrow’s evolving threats.
airspace covering more than 200,000 Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Modernization will ensure that the
square miles (500,000 square km) around Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and investments that made AWACS a reality
the AWACS, or greater than 250 miles the French Republic. The first 767 AWACS will continue to provide returns for
(400 km) in all directions. The radar uses configuration was delivered to Japan in decades to come.
a high Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF) 1998 by the Boeing/Northrop Grumman
pulse Doppler waveform to distinguish team. Combining the modernized,
aircraft targets from clutter returns. The battle-proven AWACS mission system
ultra low sidelobe antenna is an important with a state-of-the-art aircraft ensures
element of technology used to obtain the ability of the AWACS system to defend
performance over all terrains including the skies well into the 21st century.
urban and mountainous areas. The In order to counter today’s increasing
mechanical rotation of the rotodome threat sophistication, the AWACS radar has
scans the antenna beam through 360 been significantly upgraded under the
degrees of azimuth to cover targets in all Radar System Improvement Program
directions. Electronic scanning of the (RSIP). The RSIP modifications enhance
antenna beam in elevation is used for radar performance characteristics, add new
measuring target altitude and for capabilities, improve the user interface,
E-3 AWACS Brochure 06-30-2003 10:08 AM Page 4
N
performance and reliability.
S H
attack is significantly improved as well.
G
RSIP introduces advanced pulse Doppler This improvement is the result of
waveforms, pulse compression, and new incorporating the latest technology in
TH
processing algorithms implemented by
LE
clutter rejection, processing, and man
hardware and software improvements that
G
machine interface (MMI).
A
Y RSIP
E
E
E E
OF TH
PDES/BTH
PDNES MODE BTH MODE INTERLEAVED MODE
PASSIVE MODE
E-3 AWACS Brochure 06-30-2003 10:08 AM Page 6
• STALO
• Four RF assemblies
• Eight oscillator modules
• Two up-conversion modules
• Acoustic enclosure for isolation and stability
• Phase Lock Loop (PLL) electronics
E-3 AWACS Brochure 06-30-2003 10:08 AM Page 7
• Microwave Receiver
• Three channels, one of which is redundant
• Each channel contains a receiver protector
(RP) and a Low-Noise Amplifier (LNA)
• RP has five stages to protect LNAs at various
power levels; completely passive operation
• High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT)
LNAs provide low noise figure for maximum
signal-to-noise reception of target signals
Transmitter Group
• Transmit Electronics
• Predriver: 2 redundant solid-state low
power amplifiers, 2 watts minimum peak
power each
• Transmit Angle Control (TAC): 2 redundant
digitally controlled attenuators
• Driver: 2 redundant medium power
amplifiers
Command &
Navigational
Analog Receiver Data
RF BTH Radar Interface Mission
Ass'y Receiver Adapter Unit (RIAU) Computing
PD Target
Receiver Reports
Adaptive Signal & Radar
Processor Status
Clutter (ASP)
Tracker
• Smaller Targets
Better Performance • Greater Range
• Better Height Accuracy
• Improved Track Quality
• Slower Targets
• Helicopter Detection
New Capabilities
• High Speed Missiles
• Frequency Diversity
The Airborne Early Warning and Control new capabilities to detect, track, and • Greater frequency flexibility to
(AEW&C) capability that AWACS provides identify smaller targets, unmanned air operate effectively in the presence of
has become an indispensable element of vehicles, various missiles, and helicopters, electromagnetic interference
modern air operations. The strategic and in order to maintain situational awareness • Improved user interface
tactical value of AWACS has grown over and ensure air superiority.
the decades since its initial deployment in • Improved system reliability,
The E-3 AWACS is considered the most
the late 1970s, and will continue well maintainability, and availability (RMA)
capable airborne surveillance system in
into the 21st century. the world. It was designed to meet specific Modernization and sustainment will
As the world changes, the roles and goals and has been optimized to perform ensure that AWACS continues to protect the
missions of AWACS evolve. 21st century its task extremely well. However, advances skies with confidence well into the future.
AEW&C missions are increasingly complex. in technology have made further
In addition to its original AEW missions, radar improvements possible. Future
AWACS is essential to a broad variety of modifications will allow AWACS to adapt
operations, including Peace Support to evolving missions and threats.
Operations, multi-national coalitions, System upgrades are being studied or
air control, Homeland Defense, developed to provide:
counter-narcotics, Combat Search and
Rescue, and more. • Improved detection performance
The complex mission environment • Better track quality through processing
includes an airspace filled with a broader techniques
variety of air vehicles than ever before, • Detection and tracking of an expanded
including friendly forces, hostile forces, variety of target types, including slow or
neutral and commercial aircraft, UAVs, maneuvering targets, helicopters, and
and unknowns. Threats have multiplied high speed targets such as missiles
and become more advanced, requiring
E-3 AWACS Brochure 06-30-2003 10:08 AM Page 12