A-50 Mainstay Airborne Early Warning and Control System, Russia

The A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft was developed and manufactured by the Beriev Aircraft Research and Engineering Complex Joint Stock Company based at Taganrog in the Rostov Region of Russia. The A-50 aircraft was developed from the llyushin Il-76MD military transport aircraft manufactured by the Ilyushin Aviation Complex Joint Stock Company based in Moscow.

The aircraft is known in the West by the NATO codename Mainstay. Beriev aircraft normally carry the Russian designation Be- followed by the number, however, the A-50 aircraft retained the well-known A-designation which Beriev allocated to the original prototype.

The A-50 entered service with the Russian Air Force in 1984, and is thought to have 16 aircraft in service. The latest version, the A-50U was shown in 1995. Russian AF A-50s are being upgraded to extend service life to 2020. The upgraded aircraft are to enter service in 2008.

The A-50 aircraft is intended to detect and identify airborne objects, determine their co-ordinates and flight path data and transfer the information to command posts. The A-50 also acts as control centre in guiding fighter-interceptors and tactical air forces aircraft to combat areas in order to attack ground targets at low altitudes. The role of the A-50 is comparable to that of the United States E-3 Airborne Early Warning system developed by Boeing.

India has chosen the A-50/Il-76 as the platform for the three Phalcon AEW (Airborne Early Warning) systems that it is planning to purchase from IAI of Israel. Elta of Israel is to provide the AEW systems. A contract for the sale was signed in March 2004 and the first AEW aircraft will be delivered in July 2007. IAI will purchase the aircraft from Ilyushin and TAPC.

China is reported to have ordered four A-50/A-50M/U aircraft from Russia.

PERFORMANCE

The A-50 carries out patrol missions at an altitude of 5,000m to 10,000m. The patrol service ceiling is 10km. The maximum flight range of the aircraft is 5,000km and the flight endurance is seven hours 40 minutes. At a range of 2,000km, the A-50 can remain on patrol for up to one hour 25 minutes.

The aircraft is manned by five flight crew and ten mission crew.

RADAR SYSTEM

The A-50U airborne radar warning and guidance system is the Schnel-M produced by Vega. It consists of:

• Radar station
• Data reduction system
• Interrogator-responder and signal transmission system
• Digital computer complex
• Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) equipment
• Command radio link to guide fighters
• Encoding communication system
• Radio communication equipment
• Telemetry / code equipment
• Registering equipment

The radar and guidance systems have the capacity to track 50 to 60 targets simultaneously and to guide ten to 12 fighter aircraft simultaneously

COUNTERMEASURES

The A-50 is fitted with a self-defence system when flying en-route and over patrol zones. The self-defense system ensures protection from guided and unguided weapons of the enemy's fighters attacking the aircraft from its front and rear hemispheres. The self-defense system includes an electronic countermeasures system.

The aircraft can also be protected from the enemy's fighter aircraft via guidance of friendly fighters.

The aircraft radio and electronics systems are robust against hostile jamming and provide good combat performance in dense electronic countermeasures environments.

FLIGHT CONTROL AND NAVIGATION

The aircraft is fitted with the NPK-T flight control and navigation system used to ensure air navigation during all flight stages in all-weather day and night and all-year operations performed at all geographical latitudes. The system also provides flight control and navigation data intended for mission specific systems and equipment.