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Russian Air Force to Get New Generation Radar Aircraft

Iran Materials 22 June 2006 16:12 (UTC +04:00)

(MosNews) - The Russian Air Force will be provided with a modernized A-50 airborne warning and control system in 2008, Air Force Commander Vladimir Mikhailov said.

The A-50 plane will have a new image in 2008. It will be provided with new equipment that would make it possible to operate it for at least 20 years more, Mikhailov told Interfax news agency Thursday.

A lot has been done for this now, Mikhailov said.

The A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft was developed and manufactured by the Beriev Aircraft Research and Engineering Complex Joint Stock Company based at Taganrog in the Rostov Region of Russia.

The aircraft is known in the West by the NATO codename Mainstay. The A-50 entered service with the Russian Air Force in 1984, and is thought to have 16 aircraft in service. The latest version, the A-50U was shown in 1995.

The A-50 aircraft is intended to detect and identify airborne objects, determine their coordinates and flight path data and transfer the information to command posts. The A-50 also acts as a control centre in guiding fighter-interceptors and tactical air forces aircraft to combat areas in order to attack ground targets at low altitudes. The role of the A-50 is comparable to that of the United States E-3 Airborne Early Warning system developed by Boeing, Air Force Technology website reports.

India allegedly has 3 Russian aircrafts of this type. China is also reported to have ordered four A-50/A-50M/U aircraft from Russia.

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