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  • AWACS crew eyes over the battle

    U.S. Airmen assigned to the 968th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron manage the airspace over Southwest Asia, March 12, 2021. In support of air-to-ground operations, the E-3 can provide direct information needed for interdiction, reconnaissance, airlift and close-air support for friendly

  • ISR platforms level-up in Agile Combat Employment capstone

    Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance platforms assigned to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing conducted rapid airpower movements in support of a U.S. Air Forces Central Agile Combat Employment capstone event from Feb. 28 to March 4.

  • From flip phone to smart phone: AWACS gets an upgrade

    The first fully qualified crew under the new crew design for the E-3 G Airborne Warning and Control System reached their deployment location in September 2020.The new crew design, introduced in 2016, was inspired by the Block 40/45 Modernization Program update to the E-3 AWACS weapons system. As the

  • 380 AEW AWACS provide the big picture to combatant commanders

    Imagine a pilot flying their aircraft in theater. While the pilot has onboard sensors downloading, processing, and providing a lot of information during the flight, their systems have limited range.Staff Sgt. Joshua Payne, 968th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron senior surveillance

  • Crew Chiefs: The First and the Last for the Mission

    The aircraft is scheduled to land in 10 minutes and Airmen rally up to gather their gear. Reflective belts; laptops full of instructions and technical orders; and giant tool boxes the size of a dresser or wardrobe are checked out and taken on their way to their destination. The Airmen gather to the

  • New Sentry completes first combat sortie

    The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing’s newest weapon system, the E-3G Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft, completed its first active combat mission from an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, Nov. 21, 2015. The AWACS is a platform that provides airborne, command and control,

  • Guardians of the battlefield

    Airmen in the Sentry Aircraft Maintenance Unit may not wear bracelets that allow for cross-universe teleportation or maintain interstellar starships or have laser weapons like the heroes in the Guardians of the Galaxy. However, these Airmen maintain the E-3 Sentry, which makes them heroes to the