List of AEW&C aircraft operators
Operator Aircraft Period Total
Soviet Air Forces Antonov An-71 1985-1991 3
Royal Air Force Avro Shackleton AEW.2 1972-1991 12
United States Navy Boeing PB-1W Flying Fortress 1946-1955 22
Royal Air Force British Aerospace Nimrod AEW3 1982-1986 11
United States Navy & Marine Corps Douglas A-1W Skyraider 1948-1967 417
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Douglas Skyraider AEW.I 1951-1962 50
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Fairey Gannet AEW.3 1959-1978 44
United States Navy Grumman AF-2W Guardian 1950-1957 154
United States Navy Grumman TBM-3W Avenger 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 1952-1959 8
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Grumman Avenger AEW 1951-1955 ?
United States Navy Grumman E-1 Tracer 1961-1977 88
United States Air Force Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star 1954-1978 82
United States Navy Lockheed WV-1/WV-2 Warning Star 1954-1971 145
Soviet Air Forces Tupolev Tu-126 1965-1984 9
Royal Air Force Vickers Wellington 1944-1945 2 +
Historical AEW operators
RCN Grumman Avenger Mk.3W2 on board HMCS Magnificent Tupolev Tu-126
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.