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The UK's last military Sea Kings touch down for the last time after delivery into storage. (photo: Royal Navy) On September 26 three Westland Sea Kings from the Royal Navy undertook a ceremonial last flight after 49 years of service. The trio of 849 Naval Air Squadron Sea King ASaC7 helicopters took off from their home base at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall for a flight that took them for a fuel stop at RNAS Yeovilton and a flypast of the Yeovil factory where they were made, before landing at the HMS Sultan base in Gosport to await...

Saab has unveiled its first GlobalEye surveillance aircraft, revealing the extensively modified Bombardier Global 6000 business jet in the livery of launch customer the United Arab Emirates air force. Conducted at the Swedish company's Linköping site on 23 February, the event came a little over two years after the GlobalEye deal was announced at the Dubai air show in November 2015. The UAE initially signed a two-aircraft order, before also taking an option on a third example last year. Saab Adaptations include adding a Saab Erieye ER airborne early warning and control radar in a "skibox" fairing above the fuselage,...

Several recent developments show that studies and development work of a future Chinese carrier-borne airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) continue to progress at the Xi'an Institute of the AVIC Group. These developments follow the rumor that first steel cut of a new CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) aircraft carrier would have taken place at the end of June at the Jiangnan Changxing Shipyard in Shanghai. Chinese Carrier-Capable AW&C Aircraft full scale model at CSIC's 701 Institute Following a patent filed in November 2013 on a new empennage with four different planes (differeing from the one fitted on...

Saab has begun work to modify a pair of Bombardier Global 6000 business jets to its “swing-role” GlobalEye configuration for lead customer the United Arab Emirates. “We are building as we speak,” Saab chief executive Håkan Buskhe told journalists during a 17 May briefing in Stockholm. “It’s full speed ahead in our workshop.” The Swedish company signed a $1.27 billion deal with the UAE at the Dubai air show in November, with the heavily adapted Global 6000s to be capable of conducting airborne early warning and control (AEW&C), maritime and land surveillance and electronic intelligence duties. Saab Speaking during a...

While all the talk in the run-up to the Dubai air show was about the prospects for large commercial orders being announced, it was the United Arab Emirates air force that opened sales, with a surprise, $1.27 billion contract with Saab for advanced surveillance aircraft. Announced during a press briefing on 9 November, the agreement – which was reached on the first day of the show – covers the provision of two Bombardier Global 6000 business jets, following their extensive modification by the Swedish company. “I am extremely happy to announce the first deal that has been signed,” Maj Gen...

A Merlin helicopter will be fitted with a new on-board system to deliver essential anti-snooping watch and send early warnings if security threats are detected. The Merlin Mk2 helicopter will act as the Royal Navy’s eyes and ears for its next generation carriers, replacing the Sea King’s helicopter’s surveillance capabilities. Philip Dunne, Minister of State for Defence Procurement, said: “It is essential that our ships and particularly our future aircraft carriers will have the best possible protection. “The Crowsnest system on board our new Merlin Mk2 helicopter will deliver an essential surveillance and intelligence capability, providing early warnings to our...

New photos recently emerged of China’s KJ-500 airborne early-warning and control plane. It’s Beijing’s fifth unique fixed-wing AEW&C aircraft. Which is kind of a big deal. While hardly glamorous, these all-seeing planes are incredibly important to any modern air force. They transmit instructions and data — such as the presence of enemy fighters — with their powerful radars and sensors. If an air-to-air battle was an office, AEW&C planes would be the managers. An air force with one of these planes in the air can see far more — and at much longer ranges — than an enemy without one. But by any measure, five different types of...

The US Navy announced it plans to acquire a Gulfstream G550 modified to carry the conformal airborne early warning system (CAEW), to be used as ‘range support aircraft’, replacing P-3 and C-130 based radar carrying aircraft. The Navy will take delivery no later than the end of fiscal 2017. The US Navy will become the system’s fourth customer, following orders from the Israeli Air Force, Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Italian Air Force. The aircraft is designed to host as multiple telemetry links supporting L, S and C bands supporting different telemetry test equipment and command destruct and...

The Defense Ministry is set to start research aimed at domestically manufacturing early-warning aircraft for the first time, with the aim of increasing surveillance on possible incursions into the nation’s territorial airspace, according to ministry sources. The move is part of an effort to boost the ministry’s preparedness to deal with the increasingly severe security environment in areas surrounding this nation, largely due to China’s increasing military spending in recent years. The ministry will seek to build the country’s first domestically produced early-warning plane by the mid-2020s, hoping to see it replace the aging U.S.-made aircraft model currently used by...

China has successfully developed it own airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system, with the KJ-2000 and the KJ-200, reported overseas Chinese news outlet Duowei on Aug. 4. After China's initial attempts to develop its own system in the 1970s, the nation looked to Russia but the price was too high and the functionality fell short of China's expectations. An attempt to import the Israeli A-501 in the mid-1990s was blocked by the US and eventually fell through. In 2002, China stopped importing Russian AEW&C systems and developed its own, the KJ-2000 and KJ-200 which served as the lead aircraft...

U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing has silently delivered the first airborne early-warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft to Turkey under a program that was launched more than a decade ago. Now, however, the buyer and the seller are wrangling over penalties for delays. The defense procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), and the Turkish Air Force simultaneously announced Jan. 31 that the AEW&C aircraft had arrived in Turkey for acceptance tests. The tests are to be followed by an inauguration ceremony Feb. 21 at the 3rd Main Jet Base Command in Konya, they said. Last year, Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz...

Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers will get helicopter-borne early warning systems 18 months earlier than planned, saving £22 million. Following renegotiation of the aircraft carrier contract to deliver savings to the taxpayer, the Defence Secretary has accelerated the Crowsnest airborne surveillance and control programme to ensure it is operational by 2019. Using high-power radar to provide long-range air, maritime and land tracking capabilities, Crowsnest will be an integral part of future carrier operations. It will be fitted to the Royal Navy’s fleet of upgraded Merlin Mk2 helicopters, including those to be embarked on the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers. The decision...

Contenders Vie For British AEW Helicopter System British plans for a new AEW helicopter system were in focus at the Defence Security and Equipment International (DSEI) show in London this week. Lockheed Martin UK (LMUK) and Thales will compete for the requirement named Crows Nest, to provide a replacement for Royal Navy’s current Sea King Mk7 airborne surveillance and control (ASaC) helicopters, and be deployable on the UK’s two forthcoming aircraft carriers. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has specified that the Crows Nest system of radar and consoles be capable of rapid mounting on, and removal from, the Navy’s...

Expert lifts lid on surveillance aircraft File photo of Wang Xiaomo taken in May 2011.[Photo/Asianewsphoto] BEIJING - A senior Chinese military scientist has ended years of secrecy on a key type of surveillance aircraft mastered by China, exposing details on the domestic research and manufacture of "airborne early warning and control" (AEWC) systems. Wang Xiaomo, 74, regarded as the "father" of AEWC in China, said that the country has developed a complete AEWC aircraft series with its own technology, the People's Daily reported on Monday. "We're confident of producing more advanced early warning planes with smaller sizes, lower costs, multiple...

IAI offers Italy airborne early warning system deal Discussions between the defence ministries of Italy and Israel over the latter's possible future use of the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 trainer have included a suggestion for Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to supply the NATO nation with four airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system aircraft. Talks have intensified over recent weeks in a bid to prepare "a full package" before the end of this year, according to sources. The release of a request for proposals (RFP) linked to the selection of an advanced trainer for the Israeli air force was recently delayed...

DSEi 2011: Lockheed Martin promoting podded AEW solution September 16, 2011 Lockheed Martin has revealed a possible solution to an expected Royal Navy requirement for helicopter-based airborne early warning system for its future aircraft carriers. Currently the Fleet Air Arm operates a fleet of Sea King ASaC7 helicopters equipped with the Thales Searchwater radar system which provides airborne early warning and also an element of GMTI capability which has proved extremely useful for the coalition forces in Afghanistan. The aircraft have also recently been heavily tasked on Operation Ellamy in support of NATO operations in Libya. Because the Sea King...

China 'to Build Bigger Aircraft Carrier' China has just refurbished an old Soviet aircraft carrier and is now expected to build a bigger one on its own that can house large surveillance planes. The Hong Kong-based Mingpao newspaper on Thursday cited the U.S. military website Strategy Page as saying China will build an aircraft carrier even larger than the Varyag that can carry a 21-ton early warning aircraft. The website said China is also speeding up development of naval fighter jets, including homegrown early warning aircraft. A key example of this drive was the KJ-200 early warning aircraft, which is...

Korea gets 1st early warning aircraft Korea’s first early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft flies toward Gimhae Air Base near Busan after undergoing modification work and tests at Boeing’s Seattle plant, Monday. / Yonhap By Lee Tae-hoon Korea’s first early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, to be deployed next month, arrived at an Air Force base Monday, an official of the country’s defense procurement agency said. “The first one arrived at Gimhae Air Base today from Boeing’s factory in Seattle and it will be deployed for use by the Air Force in early September after undergoing final flight tests and...

Sea King radar at the heart of anti-insurgent operations 15:25 GMT, July 1, 2011 Thales UK’s Searchwater 2000 airborne early warning (AEW) radar, fitted as part of the Cerberus mission system in the Royal Navy (RN) Sea King Mk7s currently deployed in Afghanistan, has been playing a critical role in helping crews combat Taliban operations with its state-of-the-art surveillance capability. During recent operations, deployed Sea King crews have described the radar as 'unique' and both British and coalition partners have stated that it is a 'key contributory factor' in protecting civilians and military personnel from the insurgents, providing the essential...

IAI, Airbus Military to develop airborne warning systems By YAAKOV KATZ 22/06/2011 Sources say the deal is expected to bring in several hundred million dollars in to Israel Aerospace Industries over the next five years. Israel Aerospace Industries and the Madrid-based Airbus Military signed a joint venture agreement on Tuesday for the development of small and versatile Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems (AEW&C). Sources said that the deal was expected to bring in several hundred million dollars in revenue to IAI over the next five years. IAI already offers customers AEW&Cs on Gulfstream G550 business jets that are in...