Saudi AWACS radar upgrade complete
A series of upgrades to improve the capabilities of Saudi Arabia’s E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft has been completed by Boeing, the company announced on 23 May.
Systems that increase the original equipment’s radar sensitivity and expand the range for tracking targets are among the enhancements to improve radar capabilities and reduce repair time for the airborne surveillance fleet.
The upgrades, called the Radar System Improvement Programme (RSIP), include a new radar computer, a radar control maintenance panel and electrical and mechanical software and hardware.
The installation and checkout of the first upgraded aircraft was performed at Boeing Field in Seattle, while the remaining aircraft were modified at Alsalam Aerospace Industries in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Built by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, the RSIP kit has been installed on the US, the UK, NATO and French AWACS fleets.
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