On the evening of May 8, Pakistan initiated a drone and missile attack targeting several cities in India. In a significant response, India retaliated with a similar level of force. As part of its countermeasures, India successfully shot down an Advanced Warning And Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft belonging to the Pakistan Air Force within Punjab province in Pakistan. For the unversed, AWACS are airplanes with a large radar-dish mounted on the top of the airframe. These airplanes, with their high-powered radar, act as eyes in the skies. These airborne warning systems are more capable than ground mounted radars, due to land-based radars' physical limitations of the Earth's curvature limiting their field-of-view.
Pakistan currently operates nine AWACS (Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems). In 2006, the country ordered four Saab-2000 Erieye AWACS from Sweden, followed by the purchase of four ZDK-03 AWACS from China in 2008. However, the Chinese AWACS were retired in 2024. Pakistan has also expanded its fleet by adding three more Erieye aircraft each in 2017 and 2020. Given the retirement of the Chinese AWACS, it’s possible that the one India shot down could be a Saab-2000 Erieye. Here’s what you need to know about this aircraft.
Saab 2000 Erieye
The Saab 2000 Erieye is a comprehensive AWACS system that offers multi-role and multi-mission capabilities, catering to both military and civil applications. The Erieye covers a significantly broader area than traditional ground-based sensor systems. Its effective surveillance radius exceeds 500,000 square kilometers horizontally and reaches over 60,000 feet vertically. The sea coverage is only limited by the horizon, allowing it to detect and track a variety of targets, from fighter jets and hovering helicopters to cruise missiles and even Jet Ski-sized objects.
The radar is designed to swiftly detect and track objects with high precision and an impressive update rate. The system boasts an endurance of over nine hours and a range that exceeds 2,000 nautical miles (3,705 kilometers).
At present, the Indian Air Force (IAF) operates a total of five AWACS aircraft. This includes three Israeli EL/M-2090 Phalcon systems mounted on Russian IL-76 A-50E/I heavy-lift jets, which were purchased in 2004 and inducted into service in 2009. Additionally, the IAF has two Netra Mk-1 systems that are mounted on Brazilian Embraer business jets and were brought into service in 2017.
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