Russia’s Aerospace Forces (VKS) is planning to develop a new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft based on the Tupolev Tu-214 regional jet, Izvestia reported on 5 May. The newspaper’s sources in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) indicated that the VKS command has already approved the project.
Russia’s Aerospace Forces is planning to develop a new airborne early warning and control aircraft based on the Tupolev Tu-214 regional jet.Photo by: Russian MoD
The new long-range radar surveillance aircraft will reportedly be less costly, lighter, and cheaper to operate than the A-100 currently in development. It will employ a lighter version of the A-100’s radar as well as some of its onboard systems and equipment.
The A-100 is an updated version of Russia’s A-50 ‘flying radar’ introduced in the early 1980s.