BOEING E-3 Sentry (AWACS)

US designation: E-3B/C 'Awacs'

Mobile, flexible, survivable, jamming resistant, high capacity radar station and command, control and communications centre, airborne warning and control system (AWACS).

Two prototype EC-137Ds were used to test the competing radars; Westinghouse was selected.
Full-scale development completed in 1976. USAF received 34 E-3s by June 1984, including two prototypes.
First production E-3A delivered to the 552nd Airborne Warning and Control Wing, Tactical Air Command, at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, on March 24, 1977.
At various times, E-3s were deployed to Iceland, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the Mediterranean area, South West Asia and the Pacific and in support of drug enforcement programme.
E-3As began to work with NORAD continental air defence on January 1, 1979.

All-metal two-spar fail-safe structure. Centre-section continuous through fuselage.
Normal outboard aileron, and small inboard aileron on each wing, built of aluminium honeycomb panels.
Full span leading-edge flaps. Four hydraulically operated aluminium alloy spoilers on each wing, forward of flaps.
Primary controls are aerodynamically balanced and manually operated through spring tabs.
Includes thermal anti-icing of wing leading-edges.

Four Pratt & Whitney TF33-PW-100/100A turbofans, each rated at 21,000 lb st (9,450 kg), mounted in pods beneath the wings.
Total Thrust of: 84,000 lb (186.8 kN)
186 Fuel contained in integral wing tanks. Usable fuel: 90,528 litres (23,915 US gallons; 19,913 Imp gallons). Provision for in-flight refuelling.

Basic E-3A operational crew of 17; includes a flight crew complement of four plus 13 AWACS specialists. However, this amount can vary for tactical and defence missions.
Full crew complement is:

E-3B/C also carry five extra AWACS specialist positions, increasing the crew to 18, plus four on the flight deck.
Aft of flight deck, from front to rear of fuselage, are communications, data processing and other equipment bays, including: multi-purpose consoles, communications, navigation, identification equipment, crew rest area, galley and parachute storage rack.