i dont know if anyone has ever speculated this before, but any
chance you think that the G550s are actually for
elint/comint/sigint or maybe dedicated SEMA platforms while the
E2Cs will perform as dedicated AWACS as an interim solution
till the F35?
with NCW and huge expected data flows, our G550s may become
flying exchange servers, linking our flyboys to our formidables ,
to the tankies , the grunts and the arty boyz while the E2Cs serve
as genuine airborne controllers. the black raven is pretty old
anyway isnt it ? last airframe built of its kind.
afterall, our F15 strike eagles and their AESA radars might have
some capability to function as a mini awacs. we using them with
WSOs anyway right ? not inconcievable that the F15 wso detects
inbound bandits, uses link 16 to talk to other F15s and F16s in the
air force and vector them in to launch AMRAAMs.
i'd be the first on the line to admit i know very little about
AWACs. but i dont think we should place blind faith in a single
platform and accept whatever we got/acquired. plenty of questions
out there that remain to be asked and answered.
Don't overrate the AESA radars on the F-15s or F-35s lar.
At the end of the day, the nose radar is still limited to a
60-70 degree azimuth off each side. Thats far from
sufficient in terms of "Mini-awacs" capabilities.
The ability to scan 360 degree over long distances, identify and
track multiple airborne contacts is still what separates real
AEW&C from wannabes. In fact, I don't even know what this
"mini-awacs" function that so many manufacturers boast about
entails exactly. If its sorting and tracking contacts,
sharing that information via datalink, even the F-16s can do
that.
If we are gonna task F-15s or F-35s to fly in circles around in
order to "Act" as a mini-awacs, we might as well stick to the E-2C.
Also, Link 16 is a lil more complex than what we percieve it to
be. Not every aircraft in the air force recieves target
information from every other aircraft, with exception of the
AEW&C aircraft. It would be information overload if I
start seeing and recieving everything thats in the air or on the
ground being targeted by friendly aircraft. Refer to the TADIL-J
pdf file on wiki entry on the Link 16.
As to whether our G550 Phalcon system is really the best out
there, well, its still subject to debate by industry experts who
know more than we do. However, one doesn't have faith in his
own equipment, no matter how good it is, he won't be able to
fight/do well with it.
As an AEW&C, the Phalcon's airborne detection capability is
definitely there. I think we would not have selected it as
our E-2C replacement if it wasn't.