Russia's dwindling AWACS fleet returns to risky front lines
Russian early warning aircraft are exceptionally valuable to the Kremlin. Before the war, Russia had no more than 10 operational aircraft, and wartime losses have reduced this number to just a few. Nonetheless, after a months-long hiatus, Ukrainian air forces detected an A-50 over Ukrainian territory.
Russia started the war with nine or ten A-50 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. At least one aircraft was damaged at a Belarusian airport, and another two were destroyed by Ukrainians in January and February 2024.
Due to these losses, Russia decided to withdraw its AWACS. Some were so worn out they required urgent repairs. While these aircraft were still in use, they operated far from Ukrainian borders, deep within Russian airspace, where they were beyond the reach of Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses 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 risks for other types of their own machines.
An example is Su-34 strike missions, during which the aircraft fly close to the ground. This low altitude makes them harder to detect and destroy, though it significantly limits their radar range.
The A-50 serves as distant "eyes" for the Su-34, monitoring the space ahead of the strike aircraft from afar, ensuring a safe passage.
A-50 without a modern successor
It is noteworthy that although Russia has only a few A-50 aircraft, which are based on outdated designs, there is no successor for them. The new AWACS A-100 was intended to fulfill this role, but despite the passage of time, it exists only as a prototype, far from a final version.
The original schedule anticipated that the new Russian AWACS would be ready in 2018, then 2023, and now predictions point to 2026. Even if the aircraft enters service then, it will be conceptually outdated.
According to Russian experts like Roman Skomorochov, when Russia finally deploys the new AWACS, its design will be as modern as the now-retired, American E-3 Sentry, which is 50 years old.
Western modern aircraft with similar purposes are currently being built with much smaller radars, allowing for smaller, lighter, and less expensive planes, often using the airframes of commercial jet aircraft.
