China has rapidly expanded and modernized its airborne early-warning fleet while many of America's traditional AWACS aircraft continue to age. On paper, that could look like a major Chinese advantage.

They call them the “eyes and brains” of modern air warfare — and for good reason. AWACS aircraft, or Airborne Warning and Control System platforms, do far more than simply fly around and watch. They ...

October 16, 2025: Last year Russia lost the last of its A-50 AWACS/Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft. It took nearly a year before anyone could confirm that Russia had lost its last AWACS ...

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that a number of allies decided to procure up to ten Saab GlobalEye aircraft to replace the aging E-3 AWACS fleet. After months of anticipation, NATO has ...

NATO surveillance aircraft are keeping an eye on the alliance’s southern border amid ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran. NATO Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft operations ...

Despite the outsized contribution of the E-3, its specifications are rather modest for a military aircraft. The E-3 Sentry is arguably the most recognizable and widely used AWACS (Airborne Warning and ...

NATO is sending long-range surveillance aircraft to Lithuania for a mission across the Baltics, the alliance said in a recent statement. The first of three E-3A AWACS planes is currently operating out ...

The joint declaration of intent includes two GlobalEyes and an option for two additional aircraft. After a year of speculation and reports about France having chosen Saab’s GlobalEye AEW&C (Airborne ...