NATO’s AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System), a highly mobile and powerful aerial radar system, flies over Southern Europe during exercise Trident Juncture, providing an invaluable link between NATO’s many air assets and commanders on the ground.
Made up of an international crew, the AWACS fleet has been continually updated since it was first launched in 1980, and is a vital part of any large scale NATO exercise.
The AWACS based in Trapani, in Sicily, are from the E-3A Component of which there are 17 E-3A aircraft. These modified Boeing 707s are easily identifiable from the distinctive radar dome mounted on the fuselage. The E-3A usually operates at an altitude of around 10 km. From this altitude a single E-3A can constantly monitor the airspace within a radius of more than 400 km and can exchange information – via digital data links – with ground-based, sea-based and airborne commanders. By using pulse Doppler radar, an E-3A flying within NATO airspace can distinguish between targets and ground reflections and is therefore able to give early warning of low- or high-flying aircraft operating over the territory of a potential aggressor.
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Capt Lars Schmidt, AWACS Weapons Controller, Danish Navy, standing in centre of AWACS
‘Seeing much more than the fighter pilots we have a much larger range,that’s why we are like a Gods eye view to them and we are telling them what we can see, and giving them commands.’
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SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Lt Col Peter Geubbels, AWACS Tactical Director, Dutch Air Force, standing in centre of AWACS
‘This exercise tries to prepare us and the rest of NATO for possible operations in the future.’
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SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Maj Jay Vizcarra, AWACS Passive Controller, U.S. Air Force, sitting in center of AWACS
‘It’s very life like, you have numerous assets. Not only do you have fighter aircraft and strike aircraft you also have a lot of maritime assets out there patrolling the waters as well.’
‘Anything that requires any type of crisis in the world, we’re there to provide that capability worldwide within hours, forty eight hours or so, two days.’
Shotlist
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LS NATO AWACS FLIES OVERHEAD.
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WS NATO AWACS PARKED ON RUNWAY.
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MS NATO AWACS RADAR DOME.
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WS NATO AWACS PARKED ON RUNWAY.
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WS AWACS CREW WALKING TOWARDS AWACS ON RUNWAY.
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VS AWACS CREW SITTING AND WORKING AT MONITORS.
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VS SHOTS OF RADAR SCREENS RELAYING INFORMATION ABOUT FLIGHT PATTERNS FROM RADAR.
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VS AWACS CREW WORKING AT DESKS.
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MS CREW IN COCKPIT.
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SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Lt Col Peter Geubbels, AWACS Tactical Director, Dutch Air Force, standing in centre of AWACS
‘It’s a crucial asset for NATO. It is a means available to NATO to respond very quickly, in a matter of days anywhere in the world with trained crews, to respond in a non offensive way but delivering a clear message from NATO’.
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