AWACS Question
 

I'm currently reading "The War Room" by Andy Farman(think Red Storm Rising for the present day, but much better written).

In it he has AWACS aircraft controlling Naval Battle Group anti aircraft weapons systems; ie, choosing which weapons on which ships will fire and firing said weapons and even sending course corrections to missiles. Is this how it's done?

Sounds like B011OX to me; stick to Clancy's Red Storm Rising!

I'm sure a PWO will be along to comment soon...

LJ :ok:

...complete rubbish. (Well I hadn't seen this during my 7,000 hrs in one unless its changed in the last 5 years).

Cooperative Engagement Capability.

Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) / AN/USG-2(V) Cooperative Engagement Transmission Processing Set

http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_di...0&tid=325&ct=2

CEC
 

Provides the missile firing unit with the blip that might be missing from its coverage. So blips in order E3,E2,E3,Aegis,E3,Aegis,Aegis. ETC, this allows the missile firing unit to engage further out as it has better data on the target. Still needs the Aegis to fire, not a function of the E3. It can be allocated to a unit via Digital Data Links but the legalities of allowing someone else to fire your missiles were enough to send the ROE lawyers out beyond Pluto.

Doesn't include the current fit AWACS though.... Presumably this will allow the USN to shoot down more friendlies quicker! (Once had to throw a USN Carrier Battle Group off the active operational surveillance net because they kept changing the identity of all Allied aircraft returning from sausage side under the correct ACO to Assumed Hostile).


Edited to add - the E-3 does not send sensor data over the data link. Even if it could, it would be interesting to see whether the accuracy of a long range surveillance radar would be allowed to interlace with a much higher data rate fire control radar. The system would need to use a great deal of valuable bandwidth as well!

RIP Kevin Main & David Williams.