A radar station can detect planes hundreds of kilometers away. However, the equipment has a weak point. Objects at sea level or flying at low altitudes can only be captured if they are on the radar horizon. This is because the Earth is round.
Taking advantage of this gap in the curvature of the planet, military planes can carry out surprise attacks. Even though a radar antenna can locate objects hundreds or thousands of kilometers away, an object flying 200 meters above sea level only appears on operators’ screens when it is within about 50 km of the antenna. It could be a supersonic fighter or a missile, which can reach (and destroy) the station in less than two minutes.
Those who also take advantage of this tactic are the planes used in drug trafficking, which can cross borders unnoticed by flying without permission beyond the horizon of the radars.
Here in Brazil, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) has a fleet of specific aircraft to deal with this type of threat. It is the E-99M jet, a “radar plane”. In military jargon, it’s what they call AEW&C aircraft, an acronym for Aerial Air Control and Early Warning Platform. Simply put, it’s a flying radar station.
The E-99M can detect objects flying beyond the horizontal coverage range of ground stations. It scans from top to bottom, not the other way around like ground-based antennas, increasing the panoramic view range over sea level.
Eyes in the sky
The FAB radar plane with its large antenna on top of the fuselage is one of the most exotic and advanced pieces in the Air Force’s inventory.
The E-99 is based on Embraer’s ERJ-145 regional jet and has been in service in Brazil for nearly 20 years. In 2021, the Air Force received the first E-99M, a modernized version with search equipment with greater range and capacity.
The AEW&C aircraft was a request from the Air Force for the implementation of the SIVAM (Amazon Surveillance System) project, a network of radars and other resources for monitoring aerial activity in the Legal Amazon. System activation took place in 2002, the same year the E-99 was declared operational at the FAB.
The development of the E-99 began in the 1990s. Embraer’s project in partnership with the FAB was originally based on the commercial turboprop EMB-120 Brasília. However, with delays in the program and the end of production of the Brasília in 2001, it was decided to transform the ERJ-145 regional jet platform.
The first model with primary modifications flew on May 22, 1999. Eight months later, the aircraft took off with its characteristic antenna on top of the fuselage.
The E-99M’s antenna is a state-of-the-art Erieye-ER radar, manufactured by Saab Electronic Defense Systems, a division of the Swedish group specializing in electronic defense systems.
The equipment works with medium and high frequency Doppler pulses (electromagnetic pulses that reflect in objects by their scanning area).
Inside the board-shaped antenna, there are 192 bidirectional transmission and reception modules. They are like the eyes of a lizard, each capable of moving independently and fixing their gaze on different threats.
Each side of the E-99M’s antenna covers a 150° sector. Flying at an altitude of 7,620 meters, the radar plane can detect a low-flying aircraft at a distance of 450 km. Objects at higher altitudes can be detected over 700 km away.
The first version of the E-99 detected air and naval targets. With modernization, he incorporated the ability to observe objects on land. The equipment has also become more accurate and can accompany smaller vehicles such as watercraft, boats and helicopters in hovering flight.
The E-99M flies with eight crew members, including two pilots and six radar systems operators. The FAB has five units of the aircraft, which are operated by the Esquadrão Guardião, based in Anápolis (GO). The jet has a range of 3,000 km or six hours of flight time over a monitoring area.
The military version of the ERJ-145 was also exported to Mexico, Greece and India.
rare bird
Few nations have AEW&C aircraft in their fleets and an even smaller group of countries have the knowledge and structures to design this type of equipment. They are expensive aircraft that require professionals with great technical knowledge to operate them.
In South America, only the air forces of Brazil and Chile (a Boeing EB-707) operate vectors with this capability. The Chileans even recently confirmed the acquisition of two second-hand Boeing E-3D Sentry from the United Kingdom.
The E-3 Sentry, based on the old Boeing 707 four-engine commercial jet, is the best-known radar aircraft in the military world, in operation since 1977 and with an extensive combat record with the air force of the United States and NATO member countries. .
Unlike Embraer’s E-99, which uses a fixed antenna, the Boeing alert plane has a swivel antenna, like a ground station.
The two systems fulfill the same function, but with some differences: the rotating antenna has a greater search range and 350° coverage, while the fixed part is more accurate and has a higher reception speed, in addition to the practicality of being compatible with smaller aircraft ( and with reduced operating costs).
AEW&C aircraft were also developed in Russia and China, while Sweden is famous for providing the embedded systems. A version of the Swedish antenna used on the E-99M, for example, is used on the Saab GlobalEye (based on the Bombardier Global 6000 business jet platform), another exponent in this category.
The technology, however, was born in the United Kingdom, a country that pioneered the development of radars. During World War II, the British tested retrofitted bombers with swivel antennas. In the following years, the system was refined to today’s formats.
E-99 War Curriculum
FAB E-99s have already participated in actions to intercept drug trafficking aircraft on some occasions, assisting attack planes and fighter jets in contact procedures with the element in irregular flight. These meetings in Brazilian territory, however, never resulted in confirmed slaughter actions.
In this type of occurrence, pilots of illegal planes are forced to land or end up destroying the aircraft in forced landings in an attempt to escape the authorities.
Embraer models in service with the Indian Air Force are the closest to authentic air combat.
On February 27, 2019, a Netra surveillance aircraft (Indian designation for the Embraer EMB-145 AEW&C) acted as a forward air control post and guided Indian fighter jets in intercepting Pakistani attack aircraft in the conflicted Kashmir region. The encounter resulted in a fierce aerial clash, resulting in the downing of a Pakistani F-16 and an Indian MiG-21.
Airplanes equipped with powerful radars are an essential piece in the arsenal of a modern air force. For the defense of a country, it is a military instrument that avoids surprises and finds problems from a distance, allowing greater reaction time against a threat.
Source: CNN Brasil
I am Sophia william, author of World Stock Market. I have a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and I have worked as a reporter for several news websites. I have a passion for writing and informing people about the latest news and events happening in the world. I strive to be accurate and unbiased in my reporting, and I hope to provide readers with valuable information that they can use to make informed decisions.
