List of AEW&C aircraft operators

Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft are airborne radar systems designed to detect and track aircraft, missiles, ships and vehicles and provide command and control to direct friendly forces. Some operators, such as the Royal Air Force refer to such aircraft as Airborne early warning (AEW), while others reserve the shorter name for AEW aircraft lacking command and control facilities.^[1]

A US Navy E-2C Hawkeye over NAS Point Mugu.

Current AEW&C operators

US Air Force Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS.

Mexican Air Force Embraer EMB-145.

Indian Air Force Beriev A-50 EL/W-2090 AEW&C

Saab 2000 Erieye AEW&C built for the Pakistan Air Force.

Boeing E-767 of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force.

Operator	Aircraft	Unit(s)	Total	Country
Royal Australian Air Force[2][3]	Boeing E-7 Wedgetail	No. 2 Squadron RAAF	6	Australia
Brazilian Air Force[2]	Embraer R-99A	6th Aviation Group	5	Brazil
Chilean Air Force[2]	Boeing E-3D Sentry	10th Aviation Group	2[nb 1]	Chile
People's Liberation Army Air Force[2]	KJ-2000[4]	26th Air Division	5	China
People's Liberation Army Air Force	KJ-200	?	13+[5]	China (PRC)
People's Liberation Army Air Force/ People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force	KJ-500	26th Air Division	15+[5]	China (PRC)
People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force	Kamov Ka-31 Helix B	Unknown (Carrier Division)	Unknown	China (PRC)
People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force	Changhe Z-8 AEW	Unknown (Carrier Division)	Unknown	China (PRC)
People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force	Changhe Z-18J	Unknown (Carrier Division)	Unknown	China (PRC)
Republic of China Air Force[2]	Grumman E-2T/K Hawkeye	2nd EW Squadron	6	China (ROC/“Taiwan”)
Egyptian Air Force[2]	Grumman E-2C Hawkeye	87th Squadron	8	Egypt
French Air Force[2]	Boeing E-3F Sentry	00.036 Squadron	4	France
French Navy[2]	Grumman E-2C Hawkeye	4th Flotilla	3 or 4	France
Hellenic Air Force[2][6]	Embraer EMB-145H	380th Squadron	4	Greece
Indian Air Force[2]	Beriev A-50EI	No. 50 Squadron	3[nb 2]	India
Indian Air Force[2]	DRDO AEW&CS[9][nb 3]	?	3	India
Indian Navy	Kamov Ka-31 Helix B	INAS 339	14	India
Israeli Air Force	Gulfstream G550 CAEW	122nd Squadron	7[10]	Israel
Italian Air Force	Gulfstream G550 CAEW	14° Stormo	2[11]	Italy
Japan Air Self-Defense Force[2][12]	Boeing E-767	AEW Group	4[nb 4]	Japan
Japan Air Self-Defense Force[2][12]	Grumman E-2C Hawkeye	AEW Group	13	Japan
Korean People's Air Force[13]	Antonov An-24	Unknown	1	North Korea
Republic of Korea Air Force	Boeing E-7 Wedgetail	5th Tactical Airlift Wing	4	South Korea
Mexican Air Force[2]	Embraer 145AEW&C	501st Squadron	1	Mexico
NATO[2]	Boeing E-3A Sentry	NATO AEW&C FC	14	Several
Pakistan Air Force[2][14][15][16]	Saab 2000 Erieye	No. 13 Squadron	5	Pakistan
Pakistan Air Force[2][14][15][17]	Shaanxi ZDK-03 K. Eagle	No. 4 Squadron	4	Pakistan
Russian Air Force[2][18]	Beriev A-50[19]	2457th AB SDRLO[nb 5]	9	Russia
Royal Saudi Air Force[2]	Boeing E-3A Sentry	18th Squadron	5	Saudi Arabia
Royal Saudi Air Force[20][21]	Saab 2000 Erieye	18th Squadron	2	Saudi Arabia
Republic of Singapore Air Force[2]	Gulfstream G550	111th Squadron	4[nb 6]	Singapore
Swedish Air Force[2][23][unreliable source?]	Saab 340 AEW&C	17 Wing	2	Sweden
Royal Thai Air Force	Saab 340 AEW&C	702nd Squadron	2	Thailand
United States Air Force[2]	Boeing E-3B/C Sentry	3rd,18th & 552nd Wings	32	United States
United States Navy[2]	Grumman E-2C-I/II Hawkeye	10+ squadrons	55	United States
Turkish Air Force[24]	Boeing E-7 Wedgetail	131st squadron	4	Turkey
Polish Air Force	Saab 340 AEW&C	43 Naval Aviation Base	2	Poland
United Arab Emirates Air Force[25][26]	Saab GlobalEye	?	5	United Arab Emirates

A Changhe Z-18J AEW platform taking off from Liaoning flight deck

Future operators

Operator	Aircraft	First flight	Total
Indian Air Force	Airbus A320 AEW&C[27]	TBD	6
Italian Air Force[citation needed]	IAI Eitam	2015	2
NATO[28]	Boeing E-7 Wedgetail	2004	6
Russian Air Force[29]	Beriev A-100	2017	?
Royal Air Force[30]	Boeing E-7 Wedgetail	2004	3
Swedish Air Force	Saab GlobalEye	2018	3
Ukrainian Air Force[31]	Saab 340 AEW&C	1994	2
United States Air Force[32]	Boeing E-7 Wedgetail	2004	26 by 2032

Canada plans to acquire AWACS capability by 2045.^{[citation needed]}

Historical AEW operators

RCN Grumman Avenger Mk.3W2 on board HMCS Magnificent

Tupolev Tu-126

Operator	Aircraft	Period	Total
Soviet Air Forces	Antonov An-71[33]	1985–1991	3
Royal Air Force	Avro Shackleton AEW.2[34][35]	1972–1991	12
United States Navy	Boeing PB-1W Flying Fortress	1946–1955	22
Royal Air Force	British Aerospace Nimrod AEW3[36]	1982–1986	11
United States Navy & Marine Corps	Douglas A-1W Skyraider	1948–1967	417
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm	Douglas Skyraider AEW.I[37]	1951–1962	50
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm	Fairey Gannet AEW.3[38]	1959–1978	44
United States Navy	Grumman AF-2W Guardian[39]	1950–1957	154
United States Navy	Grumman TBM-3W Avenger[40]	1945–1950	40
French Aéronavale	Grumman TBM-3W Avenger	1952–1960	40
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force	Grumman TBM-3W Avenger	1954–1961	?
Netherlands Marine Luchtvaart Dienst	Grumman TBM-3W Avenger	1954–1960	24
Royal Canadian Navy	Grumman Avenger Mk.3W2[41]	1952–1959	8
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm	Grumman Avenger AEW	1951–1955	?
United States Navy	Grumman E-1 Tracer[42]	1961–1977	88
United States Air Force	Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star[43]	1954–1978	82
United States Navy	Lockheed WV-1/WV-2 Warning Star[44]	1954–1971	145
Soviet Air Forces	Tupolev Tu-126[45]	1965–1984	9
Royal Air Force	Vickers Wellington[46][47]	1944–1945	2+
Royal Air Force[2][48]	Boeing Sentry AEW.1	1991-2021	7

See also

• List of airborne early warning aircraft