E-3 Sentry departs for mission in Southwest Asia

An E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft assigned to the 965th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron is guided down the runway for take-off by its flight crew en route to a combat mission during operations at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia on Feb. 11, 2010. The E-3 mission platform, according to its Air Force fact sheet, provides situational awareness of friendly, neutral and hostile activity, command and control of an area of responsibility, battle management of theater forces, all-altitude and all-weather surveillance of the battle space, and early warning of enemy actions during joint, allied and coalition operations. The 965th EAACS is a unit of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing and supports operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol/Released)