 US Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft is prepared for flight in November 1997  Cockpit of RAF E-3 Sentry undergoing upgrades Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) is a radar-based electronic system designed to carry out airborne surveillance, and C3 (command, control and communications) functions for both tactical and air defence forces. The system is designed and built by Boeing (Defense & Space Group) using Northrop Grumman radar and flown on either the E-3 Sentry aircraft (Boeing 707) or more recently a modified Boeing 767.
The aircraft are used by the USAF, NATO, the RAF, France, Saudi Arabia and the JASDF (Japanese Air Self-Defense Force).
The USAF has an inventory of 33 E-3 Sentry aircraft, the majority of which are located at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. The Air Battle Manager Badge and the Weapons Director Badge are two Air Force badges which are authorized for personnel assigned to E-3 aircraft.
NATO also has 17 (originally 18, but one was lost due to an accident) E-3 Sentry aircraft, stationed in Geilenkirchen, Germany.
In USAF service, this role is to be taken over by the E-10 MC2A.
The U.S. Navy uses the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye for its Airborne Early Warning (AEW) missions. AEW aircraft offer a limited subset of capability.
In Soviet service, the Ilyushin A-50 Mainstay is an AWACS conversion of the standard Il-76 'Candid' strategic airlifter. Systems integration and radar performance are considered to be marketedly inferior to the E-3. Several foreign countries (Iraq, China, and India) have also used the Il-76 as the base platform for their own airborne radar needs.
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