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About the E-3 AWACS
The E-3 Sentry is a modified Boeing 707-320 commercial airframe with a rotating radar dome. The dome is 30 feet (9.1 m) in diameter, six feet (1.8 m) thick, and is held 14 feet (4.2 m) above the fuselage by two struts. It contains a radar subsystem that permits surveillance from the Earth's surface up into the stratosphere, over land or water. The radar has a range of more than 250 miles (375 km) for low-flying targets and beyond the horizon (approximately 400 miles, although the actual range is classified) for aerospace vehicles flying at medium to high altitudes. The radar combined with an IFF subsystem can look down to detect, identify and track enemy and friendly low-flying aircraft by eliminating ground clutter returns that confuse other radar systems. |
