North Atlantic Treaty Organization has sent E-3 Sentry radar surveillance aircraft, also known as AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System), for a total of 493 patrol missions in 2023, marking a significant increase in the frequency of such flights since the beginning of the russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, UK Defense Journal notes.
The heightened activity of NATO's airborne radars has direct implications for Ukraine, as demonstrated in October 2022 when NATO's E-3 Sentry was possibly involved in supporting Ukraine's air defense against russian air attacks, particularly against missile strikes launched by russian strategic bombers.
Read more: What AWACS See As They Transmit Target Data to the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Unique Video on Board of the E-3 Sentry On Patrol
NATO currently has 14 E-3 Sentry aircraft based at the German airbase Geilenkirchen. British journalists cite NATO documents that say each AWACS of this type is capable of uninterrupted patrol flights for 8.5 hours, with the option to extend the duration through air refueling. Operating at an altitude of 9,150 meters, each AWACS covers an observation area of 310,800 square kilometers.
Worth noting, NATO had 17 E-3 Sentries stationed at the permanent base in December 2022, now down to 14, possibly due to the redeployment of three units to Romania, where they should be staying at the 90 Air Transport base near Bucharest. The relocation is also connected to the need for surveillance of russian military activity in the region adjacent to southern Ukraine.
An interesting fact is that all the E-3 Sentries are registered in Luxembourg, a country that has neither any airfields nor even an Air Force of its own.
Following russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the AWACS fleet has been monitoring NATO airspace to prevent potential threats to the Allies, in addition, the aircraft is involved in "assurance measures to Turkey."
On a note from Defense Express, the aforementioned episode from October 2022 demonstrated that the actual radar detection range of E-3 Sentry is at least 800 km instead of the publicly disclosed figure of "over 500 km."
AWACS flying near Ukraine also cooperate with the Ukrainian Armed Forces by providing real-time data on russian aircraft, missiles, UAVs and ships, a trend not widely advertised yet also not hidden from the public.
Another noteworthy dynamic is that NATO officially had 17 E-3 Sentries stationed at the permanent base in December 2022, now down to 14, possibly due to the redeployment of three units to Romania, where they will stay at 90 Air Transport base near Bucharest. The relocation is also connected to the need for surveillance of russian military activity in the region adjacent to southern Ukraine.
Read more: How USA and Allies Provide Strategic Security for Joe Biden During His Visit to Ukraine
