Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft are airborne radar systems designed to detect and track aircraft, missiles, ships and vehicles and provide command and control to direct friendly forces. Some operators, such as the Royal Air Force refer to such aircraft as Airborne early warning (AEW), while others reserve the shorter name for AEW aircraft lacking command and control facilities.
Operator | Aircraft | Unit(s) | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Royal Australian Air Force [1][2] | Boeing 737 AEW&C | No. 2 Squadron RAAF | 6 |
Brazilian Air Force [1] | Embraer R-99A | 000006 6th Aviation Group
|
5 |
Chilean Air Force [1] | Boeing 707-385C | 000010 10th Aviation Group
|
|
People's Liberation Army[1] | KJ-2000[3] | 000026 26th Air Division
|
5 |
People's Liberation Army | KJ-200 | 13+[4] | |
People's Liberation Army | KJ-500 | 000026 26th Air Division
|
15+[5] |
Egyptian Air Force [1] | Grumman E-2C Hawkeye | 000087 87th Squadron
|
8 |
French Air Force [1] | Boeing E-3F Sentry | 000000 00.036 Squadron
|
4 |
French Navy[1] | Grumman E-2C Hawkeye | 000004 4th Flotilla
|
3 or 4 |
Hellenic Air Force [1][6] | Embraer EMB-145H | 000380 380th Squadron
|
4 |
Indian Air Force [1] | Beriev A-50EI | No. 50 Squadron | 3[7] |
Indian Air Force [1] | DRDO AEW&CS[8][9] | 3 | |
Indian Navy | Kamov Ka-31 Helix B | INAS 339 | 14 |
Israeli Air Force | Gulfstream G550 CAEW | 000122 122nd Squadron
|
3[10] |
Italian Air Force | Gulfstream G550 CAEW | 14° Stormo | 2[11] |
Japan Air Self-Defense Force[1][12] | Boeing E-767 | AEW Group | 4[13] |
Japan Air Self-Defense Force[1][12] | Grumman E-2C Hawkeye | AEW Group | 13 |
Korean People's Air Force [14] | Antonov An-24 | Unknown | 1 |
Republic of Korea Air Force | Boeing 737 AEW&C | 5th Tactical Airlift Wing | 4 |
Mexican Air Force [1] | Embraer 145AEW&C | 501st Squadron | 1 |
NATO[1] | Boeing E-3A | NATO AEW&C FC | 17 |
Pakistan Air Force [1][15][16][17] | Saab 2000 Erieye | No. 13 Squadron | 4 |
Pakistan Air Force [1][15][16][16][18] | Shaanxi ZDK-03 K. Eagle | No. 4 Squadron | 4 |
Russian Air Force [1][19] | Beriev A-50[20] | 002457 2457th AB SDRLO
[21] |
16 |
Royal Saudi Air Force [1] | Boeing E-3A | 000018 18th Squadron
|
5 |
Republic of Singapore Air Force [1] | Gulfstream G550 | 000111 111th Squadron
|
4[22] |
Swedish Air Force [1][23] | Saab S100B | 000017 17 Wing
|
6 |
Royal Thai Air Force | Saab S100B | 000007 702nd Squadron
|
2 |
Republic of China Air Force [1] | Grumman E-2T/K Hawkeye | 000002 2nd EW Squadron
|
6 |
Royal Air Force [1][24] | Boeing Sentry AEW.1 | 000008 8
/54 Squadrons |
6 |
United States Air Force [1] | Boeing E-3B/C Sentry | 000003 3rd
,18th & 552nd Wings |
32 |
United States Navy[1] | Grumman E-2C-I/II Hawkeye | 10+ squadrons | 55 |
Turkish Air Force [25] | Boeing 737 AEW&C | 3rd Main Jet Base Grp Cmd | 3[26] |
United Arab Emirates Air Force [27][28] | Saab S100B | 2 |
Operator | Aircraft | Date | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Indian Air Force [1] | Ilyushin Il-76 A-50EI | 2014 | 3 |
Aeronautica Militare | IAI Eitam | 2015 | 2 |
Russian Air Force [29] | Beriev A-100 | 2017 |
Operator | Aircraft | Date | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Soviet Air Forces | Antonov An-71[30] | 1985–1991 | 3 |
Royal Air Force | Avro Shackleton AEW.2[31][32] | 1972–1991 | 12 |
United States Navy | Boeing PB-1W Flying Fortress | 1946–1955 | 22 |
Royal Air Force | British Aerospace Nimrod AEW3[33] | 1982–1986 | 11 |
United States Navy & Marine Corps | Douglas A-1W Skyraider | 1948–1967 | 417 |
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm | Douglas Skyraider AEW.I[34] | 1951–1962 | 50 |
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm | Fairey Gannet AEW.3[35] | 1959–1978 | 44 |
United States Navy | Grumman AF-2W Guardian[36] | 1950–1957 | 154 |
United States Navy | Grumman TBM-3W Avenger[37] | 1945–1950 | 40 |
French Aéronavale | Grumman TBM-3W Avenger | 1952–1960 | 40 |
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force | Grumman TBM-3W Avenger | 1954–1961 | ? |
Netherlands Marine Luchtvaart Dienst | Grumman TBM-3W Avenger | 1954–1960 | 24 |
Royal Canadian Navy | Grumman Avenger Mk.3W2[38] | 1952–1959 | 8 |
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm | Grumman Avenger AEW | 1951–1955 | ? |
United States Navy | Grumman E-1 Tracer[39] | 1961–1977 | 88 |
United States Air Force | Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star[40] | 1954–1978 | 82 |
United States Navy | Lockheed WV-1/WV-2 Warning Star[41] | 1954–1971 | 145 |
Soviet Air Forces | Tupolev Tu-126[42] | 1965–1984 | 9 |
Royal Air Force | Vickers Wellington[43][44] | 1944–1945 | 2+ |