Description

Airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft have become crucial to air operations by any air force whenever they are engaged. Radar stations enabled the right aircraft to be in the right place at the right time during the Battle of Britain, but since these were fixed stations and had a ‘radar horizon’, they had limitations.

The concept of lifting the radar to altitude, enabling it to be moved where it was needed, revolutionised air warfare. Projects such as Fishpond and, particularly, Cadillac laid the groundwork for the later Skyraider, Gannet and Hawkeye for the US Navy and Royal Navy, while Warning Star and Shackleton did similar for the US and Royal air forces.

The 1970s saw a huge leap in capabilities, leading to the Sentry that is the benchmark for AEW to this day. There were setbacks, such as the Nimrod AEW3, but development has continued thanks to new radar and computing systems, which have led to the Phalcon, Erieye, Netra and Wedgetail that are entering service around the world.

Airborne radar has also enabled ground forces to operate efficiently, from radar reconnaissance by Victors to the bird’s eye view of the battlefield from E-8 JSTARSs and Sentinel R1s. This book details the history of AEW aircraft from the earliest attempts in 1941 to the latest bizjet platforms. It outlines the aircraft and key technologies that brought these war-winning platforms into the order of battle of armed forces around the world.