Russia's dwindling AWACS fleet puts pressure on aerial surveillance
Russian early warning aircraft are exceptionally valuable machines for the Kremlin. Before the conflict, Russia had no more than 10 operational aircraft, and wartime losses have left it with only a few remaining. Nonetheless, after a months-long hiatus, Ukrainian air forces detected an A-50 over Ukrainian territory.
Russia began the conflict with nine or ten A-50 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. At least one aircraft was damaged at an airport in Belarus, and Ukrainians destroyed another two in January and February 2024.
As a result of these losses, Russia decided to withdraw its AWACS, some of which were so worn out that they required urgent repairs. Although these aircraft were still in use, they operated far from Ukrainian borders, deep within Russian airspace, where they were out of reach of Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense systems and aircraft.
After a long break, Ukrainians detected the use of the A-50 much closer to the front line. As noted by the Defence 24 service, this might be an attempt by the Russians to restore reconnaissance capabilities or prepare for an offensive.
The role of Russian AWACS
The presence of the A-50 significantly enhances the capabilities of Russian aviation. It not only allows early detection of Ukrainian missiles and aircraft but also reduces the risk for other types of their own machines.
An example is Su-34 strike missions, during which the aircraft fly close to the ground, making them harder to detect and destroy. However, at the same time, their radar range is very limited.
The A-50 serves as distant "eyes" for the Su-34, checking the space ahead of the strike aircraft from a distance, ensuring a safe passage.
A-50 without a modern successor
It is worth noting that although Russia has only a few A-50 aircraft, and it is an outdated design, there is no successor for them. The new AWACS A-100 was supposed to fulfill this role, but despite the passage of time, this aircraft exists only in the form of one prototype, far from the final version.
The original schedule assumed that the new Russian AWACS would be ready in 2018, then 2023, and current predictions indicate 2026. Even if the aircraft enters service, it will be conceptually outdated.
As noted by Russian experts, including Roman Skomorochov, when Russia puts the new AWACS into service, it will be conceptually equivalent to the 50-year-old, now-retired, American E-3 Sentry.
Western modern aircraft with similar purposes are currently being built using much smaller radars, allowing for the use of smaller, lighter, and less expensive planes built with the airframe of commercial jet aircraft.
