Russia's A‑100 AWACS program scrapped amid sanctions and obsolescence
Russia has canceled the long-standing program for the development of a new early warning aircraft, the A-100 Premier, according to unofficial Russian-language sources. The A-100 was supposed to represent a new generation of AWACS but became obsolete before it could be completed. Western sanctions are cited as one of the reasons for its failure.
The cancellation of the A-100 aircraft development program is reported by EurAsian Times, citing the Fighterbomber profile on Telegram. This source, though unofficial, has consistently provided reliable information about Russian aviation over time.
The A-100, designed by Beriev, is an early warning aircraft that utilizes the airframe of the four-engine Il-76 aircraft. It features a distinct disc-shaped radome housing a rotating radar antenna.
The A-100 was intended to replace the older Russian AWACS, the A-50, which first flew in the early 1980s.
Why was the A-100 program canceled?
The need to develop and implement a new design is urgent, as Russia has suffered losses due to the war in Ukraine and currently has only a few (probably six) early warning aircraft.
These remaining planes are extremely valuable. One of their roles is to act as the "eyes" for strike aircraft, which carry out missions over Ukraine. Aircraft like the Su-34 can fly low, making them difficult to detect, thanks to cooperation with AWACS, which controls the airspace ahead, ensuring a safe flight.
Russian-language sources indicate that Western sanctions are a factor in the cancellation of the A-100's development, but the reasons may be more complex.
Beyond the challenges posed by Western economic sanctions, a significant issue is that—even before entering service—the A-100 is already conceptually obsolete. Additionally, the increased range of anti-aircraft missiles questions the capability of such a design to perform its intended tasks.
Russian AWACS A-100
Work on the new Russian early warning aircraft began in the early 21st century after earlier attempts to develop an AWACS for China and India were abandoned.
The aircraft was supposed to be based on the latest version of the Il-76 transport aircraft, with radar provided by the Vega Concern (now Vega Radioelectronics Concern), known for radar systems in Soviet space vehicles. The entire project was entrusted to the Beriev company, akin to earlier projects like the A-50.
The design goals for the A-100 were ambitious. The aircraft was intended to provide significantly enhanced target detection and tracking capabilities due to the entirely new Premier radar station, not merely as an upgrade of the previous model.
It was expected to detect hundreds of air targets up to 370 miles away, identify sea targets, and guide dozens of its own aircraft and missiles to these targets. To enhance data accuracy, the radar antenna's rotation speed was doubled to 24 times per minute. The aircraft was also equipped with advanced communication systems, including satellite communications, and self-defense systems.
Delayed and obsolete
The issue is that—after more than 20 years of development—the A-100 still hasn't been put into service. Although a prototype flew in 2017 and tests of the Premier system's functionality were reportedly successful, the officially announced delivery date for serial machines has been postponed five times, with the latest reports dating from 2023. The aircraft was photographed in flight in 2024.
According to Russian sources, the lack of updates about the A-100 could indicate the cancellation of the entire program, which has long struggled with technical problems and delays. These are thought to be due to Western sanctions imposed after Russia's first incursion into Ukraine in 2014.
The abandonment of the A-100 program seems even more likely because the new Russian AWACS—before even entering service—is already outdated. As noted by Defence Express, while the iconic E-3 Sentry AWACS are being phased out in the West, Russia cannot complete an aircraft that—50 years after the Sentry entered service—would offer similar capabilities.
a modern AWACS doesn't have to be large
Technological advances have led to new AWACS no longer needing to be as large as previous generations, which bore the distinctive rotating antenna discs on their fuselages.
They are being replaced by flat-panel antennas embedded in the fuselage outline or housed in elongated aerodynamic fairings.
This shift means that the role of large AWACS is increasingly being taken over by smaller aircraft such as the Boeing 737 AEW&C (E-7A Wedgetail), the Saab 340 AEW&C procured by Poland, its successor Saab GlobalEye, or other planes built on smaller commercial jet platforms, like those from Embraer or Gulfstream.
Modern AWACS are aircraft with fewer engines, cheaper and easier to operate, and less demanding concerning airport infrastructure. They also require smaller crews.
a classic AWACS is increasingly easier to destroy
Commenting on reports from Russia, EurAsia Times notes that the gap between AWACS radar range and anti-aircraft missile range is narrowing. The range of new missiles—like the AMRAAM-ER, AIM-260 JATM, Meteor, or PL-15—now exceeds 93 to 124 miles and continues to grow as they develop further.
Moreover, advances in ground anti-aircraft systems have made them more mobile, which has demonstrated—with the example of the war in Ukraine—the feasibility of setting an anti-aircraft trap for AWACS (Ukrainians have destroyed at least two Russian A-50s this way). As a result, the risk of losing large, easily detectable, and expensive early-warning aircraft is increasing.
too few AWACS
It’s unclear which arguments ultimately influenced the decision about the A-100, but if development has indeed been halted, Russia finds itself in a challenging situation. The AWACS fleet of the world's largest country, whose airspace stretches over thousands of miles, could be counted on two hands (likely, only six are operational).
The Defence Express service remarks that in theory, it might still be possible to assemble a few more (up to six) A-50s from incomplete airframes, but over time, the lack of early warning aircraft will be increasingly felt by the Russian air forces.
