AWACS = Airborne Warning And Control System. The airframe of the E-3A was developed from the Boeing 707 airliner, and the interior is filled with advanced avionics including the Westinghouse APY-1 high-power surveillance radar with its aerial faired to a circular rotodome. The E-3A can send combat data to up to 98,000 friendly units within 230 miles by advanced digital links. Thirty-four United States Air Force AWACS aircraft exist and are often based at Alaska, Iceland, Okinawa, and Saudi Arabia. It usually operates near the rear of the front lines, coordinating data for friendly forces. Entered service in 1977.
