Posted on 01/14/2008 10:06:38 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Jan. 14, 2008
A-50 Airborne Early Warning, Control Aircraft to Be Upgraded Soon
Russias Vega Consortium has completed research and development work to upgrade A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft, Interfax reported.
The successful completion of research and development work enables to start serial upgrading for A-50 jets of Russias Air Force, a source with the countrys defense and industrial complex told Interfax.
First of all, the novelty provides for serious updating of radar facilities and analog processing will be replaced by the digital one. Upgraded A-50 has proved its apt to the estimated specification, representatives of defense community said.
The experts say new radar facilities can track up to 150 aims at the distance of up to 600 kilometers, aim big groups of fighters and control the air traffic. It can also effect air refueling.
The A-50 jets are currently involved in the patrol operations that the countrys strategic bombers carry out in the most distant regions of the world.
www.kommersant.com
A Russian Beriev A-50 airborne early warning (AEW) plane is photographed by the Norwegian Air Force in International waters outside the coast of Norway August 17, 2007. Photo: Reuters
Isn’t that just an IL-76 with a radome stuck on top?
Yes.
Yup. NATO reporting name “Mainstay.”
Forward Thinking as defined by the Russky’s is now and every, apparently, will be - copy exactly what the U.S. has and trumpet it as a great achievement.
The Russky’s are not able to conceptualize a new design - that seems to have died with Mikoyan and Gurevich.
I wonder how an AEW aircraft should look if it is not copied??
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