PHALCON AWACS force-multiplier.
Posted on 05/26/2009 6:34:14 AM PDT by MyTwoCopperCoins
New Delhi: The country's first Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) arrived from Israel on Monday, significantly boosting India's capability to detect missiles and fighters deep inside enemy territory.
The AWACS, an IL-76 transport aircraft with unusually powerful engines and fitted with an array of Israeli radar and surveillance systems, skirted countries such as Iran and Pakistan, and flew over the seas for over eight-and-half hours to reach India from Ovda International airport in southern Israel.
Israel had to cancel a Chinese order for the same Phalcon AWACS systems, one of the most powerful snooping systems in the world, under US pressure a few years ago. The IAF says the AWACS will altogether "alter the dimension of the see-through capability of the IAF beyond conventional visions of ground-based and tethered electromagnetic sensors."
IAF would have a total of three AWACS, and all of them to be based in Agra.The AWACS is mounted with radar that can detect missiles and aircraft in a few hundred kilometers radius. Simultaneously it can also collate surface information about troop movements and missile launches, while listening to communications between enemy frontline units.
As the AWACS entered the Indian airspace, a formation of three Mig-29 and three Jaguar aircraft received the aircraft mid-air and escorted it to the Jamnagar airbase around noon on Monday. The commanding officer of the first AWACS squadron, group captain B Saju, was quoted as saying, "It was a great feeling to be escorted by our fighters and it feels really good to be back." The AWACS would be formally inducted into IAF later this week.
PHALCON AWACS force-multiplier.
is on a par or above our own AWACs, but if any of you junior birdmen care to add your ‘2 cents’ to our pot of knowledge, it would be appreciated!
Forgot to add ping to usual suspects! Take Two... 
scene one! Action!!!
I suspect this puppy... is on a par or above our own AWACs, but if any of you junior birdmen care to add your ‘2 cents’ to our pot of knowledge, it would be appreciated!
f there is a Red X go to http://westbonner.lili.org/files/westbonner/images/film-clapboard.png
I recall reading somewhere that the IL-76 can accomodate more computer consoles, allowing more human operators within the aircraft to orchestrate various sections of the battle plans simultaneously. Since India would have only three AWACS systems for now, this factor becomes important.
Knowing a little about how Israelis approach projects like this, I would surmise that the capabilities have been
customised to Indian requirements rather than to compete
with US AWACS. Therefore, less range to the radars,
fewer operators with the smaller plane, and therefore
less simultaneous tracking ability. I’m sure some edition
of Defense News or Aerospace Leak has all the juicy details.
I am glad the Indian Armed Forces has a nice AWACS system. The Sov, er, Russian transport aircraft looks very sturdy and capable of handling rough fields. And the Israelis do really good work.
I have my doubts about it being the “best,” though.
Nosireeee!
It is your wife (or ex in my case) and her friends. THAT is the best "snooping" systme in the entire world.
I just hope Indian takes out the Iranian nukes sites, too!
We all know The Øbamanation... 
will never do it
Hmmm.
If its an AESA, then its also a potentially a “Death Ray.” Supposedly the AESA on F-22 and F-35 has the potential to be used to fry missile and aircraft electronics. The Phalcon should be a case of “more so.”
If the India AWACS technical suport crew is anything like an Indian computer technical support...
“Dis iz Jon, mea eye ‘elp uuoh?”
I was not able to get the range of the system on the E-3C;
good chance that the latest version is not well documented
due to the parameters being classified. N-G is the prime on
the E-3 program so I am inclined to believe that advances
are percolating to the E-3 platform as well.
I hope that India has opted for some engines other than the
Russian ones. Hate to have this platform fall out of the sky and force land in, say, Pakistan or the PRC.
The Aviadvigatel PS-90A turbofans work reasonable well in the harsh conditions present in India, from the heat of the Rajasthan desert to the cold snow-capped mountains of Kashmir and the Himalayas.
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