AWACS APY-2 Support

AWACS APY-2 Radar Support

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 Mission Systems (MS) 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 the E-767, ES has continued as a leader in the development of radar technology for airborne applications. Mounted atop the aircraft fuselage in a rotating dome, the AWACS S-band (E-F band) surveillance radar is able to survey, in 10-second intervals, a volume of airspace covering more than 200,000 square miles (500,000 square km) around the AWACS, or greater than 250 miles (400 km) in all directions. The radar uses a high Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF) pulse Doppler waveform to distinguish aircraft targets from clutter returns. The ultra-low side lobe antenna is an important element of technology used to obtain performance over all terrains including urban and mountainous areas. The mechanical rotation of the rotodome scans the antenna beam through 360 degrees of azimuth to cover targets in all directions. Electronic scanning of the antenna beam in elevation is used for measuring target altitude and for stabilization of the beam for proper spatial coverage as the aircraft maneuvers.

The first production AWACS system on a modified Boeing 707 aircraft was delivered in 1977. This system is now in service with the U.S. Air Force, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the French Republic. The first 767 AWACS configuration was delivered to Japan in 1998 by the Boeing/Northrop Grumman team. Combining the modernized, battle-proven AWACS mission system with a state-of-the-art aircraft ensures the ability of the AWACS system to defend the skies well into the 21st century.