Airborne Warning & Control System (AWACS)

Abstract

Mission: E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) is the premier airborne platform providing Battle Management Command and Control (BMC2) for Commander In Chief and combatant commander tasking in joint, allied, and coalition operations, humanitarian relief, and homeland defense. AWACS provides a real-time picture of friendly, neutral, and hostile air activity. Its capabilities include: All-altitude/all-weather surveillance of the battle space; early warning of enemy actions; a real-time ability to find, fix, track, and assess airborne or maritime threats; and detection, location, and identification of electronic emitters. Major efforts for the AWACS program include: 1. E-3 Training, Support, and Infrastructure (TSI): The TSI program provides continuing lab operations and maintenance support for AWACS modernization and enhancement across the enterprise. TSI will implement realignment of management responsibility of the AWACS Integration and Test Support (AITS) labs to allow for continuing Foreign Military Sales (FMS) E-3 AWACS program test requirements and for US and FMS E-3 Sustainment requirements. Continuing activities include managing the AWACS Development Test and Evaluation (DT&E) infrastructure and tracking and monitoring the AWACS support equipment and program Government Furnished Property. TSI will continue to manage the cost, schedule, and performance contract of the AITS lab until the FMS office completes its transfer plan. Currently the overall DT&E test infrastructure supports earlier versions of AWACS aircraft during system and sub-system testing in Seattle, WA and Oklahoma City, OK, along with Third Party Integration support from The Boeing Company to AWACS customers in the System AITS labs. TSI does provide support to multiple Foreign Military Sales (FMS) projects on a maintenance fee basis to projects for France, Saudi Arabia and Japan efforts. Key programs include contractual management of the AWACS Avionics Integration Laboratory (AIL) integrated with the Block 40/45 Functional Group configured lab. These labs provide US, FMS, and Direct Commercial Sales customers with a configured development and qualification system and subsystem environment supporting all AWACS system. 2. E-3 Command and Control, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C2ISR): C2ISR system improvements investigate and develop future capabilities of the AWACS weapon system. These efforts also include, but are not limited to, investigation, analysis, and development to ensure that AWACS successfully integrates with joint and coalition forces in a net-centric environment. C2ISR primarily supports pre-systems acquisition in the areas of materiel solution analysis and technology development. This is accomplished by prototyping and demonstrating capabilities required by the warfighter but also includes developing an E-3 Modernization & Sustainment Roadmap that projects user capability needs, as well as materiel solutions for the user needs. C2ISR also supports an analytical comparison of the operational effectiveness, suitability, life-cycle cost and system capabilities of alternative materiel solutions beyond the current AWACS that satisfy an established capability need identified in an Initial Capabilities Document (ICD), Rapid Prototyping Requirements Document (RPRD), or Rapid Fielding Requirements Document (RFRD). 3. E-3 Communication Network Upgrade (CNU): CNU will provide a Link 16 capability with high-jam-resistance, high-speed, crypto-secure computer-to-computer connectivity in support of every type of military platform from airborne assets to submarines. The current 20-year-old Class 2 terminal has sustainability/Diminishing Manufacturing Source (DMS) issues and does not support mandated Crypto Mod (CM) & Freq. Remap (FR). CNU resolves DMS issues, provides CM & FR, Link 16 enhancements & growth for Next Gen Tactical Data Link (TDL). CNU capabilities will be delivered in two phases, comprised of three Minimum Viable Product (MVP) efforts. Phase I: MVP1 (Crypto) will provide Enhanced Link 16 Crypto and Frequency Mapping, and MVP2 will provide High Powered Amplification of Communications (HPAs). Phase II: MVP3 (Link 16 Advanced Capabilities) will provide Link 16 advanced communications throughput via ethernet connection. 4. E-3 AWACS Communications Integration Program (ACIP): ACIP will provide Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) and Second-Generation Anti-Jam Tactical UHF Radio for NATO (SATURN) capability by replacing the existing Have Quick II and Demand Assigned Multiple Access (DAMA) SATCOM radios with new radios capable of communicating via multiple waveforms as a combined integration program on AWACS. Provides continued compatibility with US and Allied forces using frequency hopping UHF in support of airborne AMTI & BMC2 to CCMDs for Joint, Allied & Coalition operations by maintaining compatibility with CAF/Sister service C2 nodes and theater assets. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program's funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F. This program is in Budget Activity 7, Operational System Development because this budget activity includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2025
• Source ID: 67411L_0207417F_7_3600_PB_2025

Tags

Readers

• Civilian Systems Systems Program Capability Development and Upgrade Support Activity Expense and Pay Management.
• Tactical Satellite Communications Systems Engineering.

Technology Areas

• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Microelectronics
• Space