commonly known airborne early warning control aircraft developed boeing prime contractor derived boeing provides weather surveillance command control communications united_states_air_force nato royal_air_force distinguished distinctive rotating radar dome fuselage production ended aircraft built mid-1960s air_force seeking aircraft replace engined lockheed seen service decade issuing preliminary development contracts companies picked boeing construct test hughes competing radars radars pulse technology design emerging contract winner testing production began october delivered march seven years total aircraft manufactured nato single identity aircraft manufactured basing germany sold united_kingdom seven france saudi_arabia plus derived tanker aircraft aircraft delivered participated playing crucial role directing coalition aircraft enemy aircraft service life numerous upgrades performed enhance capabilities acquired renamed currently supports radar development background asked proposals replace warning stars served airborne early warning role decade new aircraft advantage improvements radar technology allowed airborne radars look detect low flying aircraft look shoot land previously impractical ground contracts issued boeing douglas lockheed eliminated july parallel program place develop radar hughes aircraft asked compete producing radar system referred development tests modified radar antenna going company won radar competition pioneered design high power phase boeing initially proposed purpose built aircraft tests indicated operational chosen instead increase endurance design powered carrying radar rotating dome mounted forward swept tail fuselage boeing selected ahead based proposal july initial orders placed aircraft designated test beds evaluate competing radars test beds need hour endurance demanded production aircraft retained commercial engines later reduction endurance requirement led retaining normal engines production maiden flight february fly radars taking place march july year favorable test results led selection radar production aircraft hughes radar initially thought certain winner simply design going new eagle radar program radar fast transform digitally resolve frequencies hughes radars analog filters based design fighter engineering team won competition bit computer software modified mission computer design program designated expanded memory radar horizon pulse mode complement pulse radar mode proved beneficial especially mode detect ships sea radar beam directed horizon scale development approval given january scale development system allow development aircraft systems orders placed aircraft performed maiden flight february save costs endurance requirements relaxed allowing new aircraft retain military designation engines selected develop mission computer display system computer receiving designation software written sage control operator immediately home track displays displays differences create compatibility problems tactical ground radar systems iceland europe korea modifications boeing included rotating radar dome single point ground air bail tunnel original design forward aft aft bail deleted cut mounting costs engineering test evaluation began october total built future status boeing longer production mission package fitted boeing intended replace program canceled performing series improvements mainly bring current standards performance boeing flight testing modified contains upgrades mission crew air battle management sections significantly upgraded electronic equipment program air_force considering equip glass air_force wants modified jet engines reliable original ones higher fuel new engines longer ranges longer time station shorter critical runway length modification carried fuel loads long higher ambient temperatures lower barometric pressures bases mountainous areas joint stars fitted new stated having half cost competing engine air_force studying possibility replacing original engines efficient ones upgrading nato fleet complicated fleet equipment nato member aircraft differently nato finalized upgrade replacement plans flown appropriate maintenance world wide fleet aircraft supporting difficult design overview airframe modified boeing advanced model nato range hours flying newer versions bought france saudi_arabia equipped newer engines fly hours range station time increased air air crews work shifts use board crew rest meals area deployed monitors assigned area battlefield provides information commanders air operations gain maintain control battle air defense asset detect identify track airborne enemy forces far boundaries nato countries direct fighter aircraft targets support air ground operations provide direct information needed reconnaissance close air support friendly ground forces feet diameter feet thick center held feet fuselage reduce aerodynamic drag detrimental effect offs endurance corrected radar secondary surveillance radar antenna phase dome uses bleed air cooling doors remove heat generated electronic mechanical equipment rotated antenna system permits passive array radar system provide surveillance earth surface land water major navigation communications computers consoles display computer processed data graphic format video screens console operators perform surveillance identification weapons control battle management communications functions radar computer gather present broad detailed battlefield information includes position tracking information enemy aircraft ships location status friendly aircraft naval vessels information sent major command control centers rear areas aboard ships times crisis data naval aircraft carrier task forces electrical generators mounted engines provide electrical power required radars electronics pulse radar range low flying targets operating altitude pulse radar range approximately aircraft flying medium high altitudes radar combined provides look capability detect identify track low flying aircraft eliminating ground radar returns upgrades starting upgraded block modification program enhance capabilities october final airframe upgraded program rolled major enhancements firstly installation electronic support measures electronic surveillance capability active passive means detection installed provides rapid secure communication information including target positions identification data friendly platforms global positioning system gps capability added onboard computers overhauled accommodate new systems provide future enhancements radar system improvement program joint nato development program operational capability radars electronic dramatically improve system reliability availability essentially program replaced older logic coupled logic electronic components long production shelf digital computers utilised high level programming language instead assembly language significant improvement came replacing old bit bit bit bits bit bits hardware software modifications improve radars performance providing enhanced detection emphasis low radar cross section targets raf joined adding upgrade radars squadrons completed december upgrade installation dramatically improve positioning accuracy boeing awarded contract add small squadron installation completed operational history march air control wing oklahoma received aircraft commanded major 34th delivered june march activated gained unit performs similar duties active duty aircraft shared total thirty active service seven stationed belong assigned stationed okinawa alaska aircraft assigned boeing testing development retired scrapped june iran placed order order cancelled following revolution nato acquired support equipment nato air defense force aircraft registered certain country decision register nato member previously air force delivered january eighteen operated number squadrons nato based presently nato inventory lost crash united_kingdom france instead aircraft joint project france operate aircraft independently nato operates aircraft seventh retired france operates aircraft fitted newer engines british requirement came following cancellation british project replace 1980s order placed february deliveries starting operator type delivered june september saudi_arabia operates aircraft fitted engines particular sale contested reagan administration opponents sale aircraft deploy operation immediately established clock radar screen defend iraqi forces operation flew missions logged hours station time data collection capability radar computer allowed entire air war recorded time history addition providing senior leadership time critical information actions enemy forces controllers assisted air air kills recorded conflict nato joined colleagues joint air defense wake september terrorist attacks towers pentagon nato participated international military operation libya january raf deployed cyprus support coalition islamic state iraq syria joins raf tornado voyager aircraft performing supporting daily strikes june original nato aircraft retire arrived near aircraft placed parts storage critical parts removed nato technicians support remaining fleet boeing aircraft accumulated flight hours august operated different countries support nato operational activities aircraft mid july year cycle depot level maintenance inspection costly inspection aircraft longer allowed fly called retirement project result critical parts value upwards parts removed longer market expensive november deployed middle_east begin immediately flying combat missions support operation inherent resolve marking combat deployment upgraded billion development effort started aircraft achieving initial operational capability july block upgrade extensive undergone replacing 1970s computer technology early 2000s standard including ground system receives processes data air_force plans convert standard retiring seven fleet avoid upgrade costs harvest production components variants prototype aircraft engines fitted radar radar converted standard engines production aircraft engines radar built later converted standard total ordered completed additional aircraft retained boeing testing built nato engines saudi_arabia engines aircraft powered based design sold saudi_arabia improvements conversions production aircraft radar additional electronic consoles system improvements built aircraft boeing trials later redesignated production aircraft royal_air_force standard engines british modifications designated seven built production aircraft standard engines french modifications built block modification includes hardware software upgrades improve communications computer processing power threat tracking previously manual functions reached july operators current operators france purchased aircraft similar british aircraft planes assigned air detection command squadron based air base germany purchased lost greece aircraft officially registered aircraft nato member air force responsible monitoring nato operations world squadron flying squadron flying squadron disbanded saudi_arabia purchased aircraft tanker aircraft squadron united_kingdom royal_air_force purchased seven october seven service operational training aircraft designated squadron squadron disbanded squadron united_states_of_america united states air force currently present air control wing air force base present iceland present present present present air expeditionary wing air base present associate present wing present 18th wing present incidents accidents involved hull loss accidents radar antenna destroyed development photo september serial number crashed shortly alaska plane lost power left engines engines canada takeoff aircraft went miles northeast runway killing crew members board july overran runway sea takeoff greece fuselage broke destroying aircraft casualties crew members board allegedly suffered evidence found august severely damaged landing experiencing nose wheel failure failure resulted fire caused reported million damage accident determined pilot error altitude feet pilot pilot lost track height ground aircraft struck ground force nose wheel broke aircraft slid runway feet specifications data characteristics crew flight crew aircraft commander pilot navigator flight engineer mission crew length wingspan height wing area weight loaded weight aerial max takeoff weight powerplant whitney lbf performance maximum speed mph knots range nmi service ceiling
Boeing E-3 Sentry