# List of AEW&C aircraft operators

Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft are airborne radar systems designed to detect and track aircraft, missiles, ships and vehicles and provide command and control to direct friendly forces. Some operators, such as the Royal Air Force refer to such aircraft as Airborne early warning (AEW), while others reserve the shorter name for AEW aircraft lacking command and control facilities.

## Current AEW&C operators

| Operator | Aircraft | Unit(s) | Total | Country |
| Royal Australian Air Force | Boeing E-7 Wedgetail | No. 2 Squadron RAAF | 6 | Australia |
| Brazilian Air Force | Embraer R-99A | 6th Aviation Group | 5 | Brazil |
| Chilean Air Force | Boeing E-3D Sentry | 10th Aviation Group | 2 | Chile |
| People's Liberation Army Air Force | KJ-2000 | 26th Air Division | 5 | China |
| People's Liberation Army Air Force | KJ-200 | ? | 13+ | China (PRC) |
| People's Liberation Army Air Force/ People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force | KJ-500 | 26th Air Division | 15+ | China (PRC) |
| People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force | Kamov Ka-31 Helix B | Unknown (Carrier Division) | Unknown | China (PRC) |
| People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force | Changhe Z-8 AEW | Unknown (Carrier Division) | Unknown | China (PRC) |
| People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force | Changhe Z-18J | Unknown (Carrier Division) | Unknown | China (PRC) |
| Republic of China Air Force | Grumman E-2T/K Hawkeye | 2nd EW Squadron | 6 | China (ROC/“Taiwan”) |
| Egyptian Air Force | Grumman E-2C Hawkeye | 87th Squadron | 8 | Egypt |
| French Air Force | Boeing E-3F Sentry | 00.036 Squadron | 4 | France |
| French Navy | Grumman E-2C Hawkeye | 4th Flotilla | 3 or 4 | France |
| Hellenic Air Force | Embraer EMB-145H | 380th Squadron | 4 | Greece |
| Indian Air Force | Beriev A-50EI | No. 50 Squadron | 3 | India |
| Indian Air Force | DRDO AEW&CS | ? | 3 | India |
| Indian Navy | Kamov Ka-31 Helix B | INAS 339 | 14 | India |
| Israeli Air Force | Gulfstream G550 CAEW | 122nd Squadron | 7 | Israel |
| Italian Air Force | Gulfstream G550 CAEW | 14° Stormo | 2 | Italy |
| Japan Air Self-Defense Force | Boeing E-767 | AEW Group | 4 | Japan |
| Japan Air Self-Defense Force | Grumman E-2C Hawkeye | AEW Group | 13 | Japan |
| Korean People's Air Force | Antonov An-24 | Unknown | 1 | North Korea |
| Republic of Korea Air Force | Boeing E-7 Wedgetail | 5th Tactical Airlift Wing | 4 | Korea |
| Mexican Air Force | Embraer 145AEW&C | 501st Squadron | 1 | Mexico |
| NATO | Boeing E-3A Sentry | NATO AEW&C FC | 14 | Several |
| Pakistan Air Force | Saab 2000 Erieye | No. 13 Squadron | 5 | Pakistan |
| Pakistan Air Force | Shaanxi ZDK-03 K. Eagle | No. 4 Squadron | 4 | Pakistan |
| Russian Air Force | Beriev A-50 | 2457th AB SDRLO | 9 | Russia |
| Royal Saudi Air Force | Boeing E-3A Sentry | 18th Squadron | 5 | Saudi Arabia |
| Royal Saudi Air Force | Saab 2000 Erieye | 18th Squadron | ? | Saudi Arabia |
| Republic of Singapore Air Force | Gulfstream G550 | 111th Squadron | 4 | Singapore |
| Swedish Air Force | Saab S100B | 17 Wing | 6 | Sweden |
| Royal Thai Air Force | Saab S100B | 702nd Squadron | 2 | Thailand |
| United States Air Force | Boeing E-3B/C Sentry | 3rd,18th & 552nd Wings | 32 | United States |
| United States Navy | Grumman E-2C-I/II Hawkeye | 10+ squadrons | 55 | United States |
| Turkish Air Force | Boeing E-7 Wedgetail | 131st squadron | 4 | Turkey |
| Polish Air Force | Saab 340 AEW&C | 43 Naval Aviation Base | 2 | Poland |
| United Arab Emirates Air Force | GlobalEye | ? | 2 | United Arab Emirates |

## Future operators

| Operator | Aircraft | First flight | Total |
| Indian Air Force | Airbus A320 AEW&C | TBD | 6 |
| Indonesian Air Force | Boeing E-7 Wedgetail | TBD | TBD |
| Italian Air Force | IAI Eitam | 2015 | 2 |
| NATO | Boeing E-7 Wedgetail | 2031 | 6 |
| Russian Air Force | Beriev A-100 | 2017 | ? |
| Royal Air Force | Boeing E-7 Wedgetail | ? | 3 |
| Ukrainian Air Force | Saab 340 AEW&C | ? | 2 |
| United States Air Force | Boeing E-7 Wedgetail | 2027 | 26 by 2032 |
Canada plans to acquire AWACS capability by 2045.

## Historical AEW operators

| Operator | Aircraft | Period | Total |
| Soviet Air Forces | Antonov An-71 | 1985–1991 | 3 |
| Royal Air Force | Avro Shackleton AEW.2 | 1972–1991 | 12 |
| United States Navy | Boeing PB-1W Flying Fortress | 1946–1955 | 22 |
| Royal Air Force | British Aerospace Nimrod AEW3 | 1982–1986 | 11 |
| United States Navy & Marine Corps | Douglas A-1W Skyraider | 1948–1967 | 417 |
| Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm | Douglas Skyraider AEW.I | 1951–1962 | 50 |
| Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm | Fairey Gannet AEW.3 | 1959–1978 | 44 |
| United States Navy | Grumman AF-2W Guardian | 1950–1957 | 154 |
| United States Navy | Grumman TBM-3W Avenger | 1945–1950 | 40 |
| French Aéronavale | Grumman TBM-3W Avenger | 1952–1960 | 40 |
| Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force | Grumman TBM-3W Avenger | 1954–1961 | ? |
| Netherlands Marine Luchtvaart Dienst | Grumman TBM-3W Avenger | 1954–1960 | 24 |
| Royal Canadian Navy | Grumman Avenger Mk.3W2 | 1952–1959 | 8 |
| Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm | Grumman Avenger AEW | 1951–1955 | ? |
| United States Navy | Grumman E-1 Tracer | 1961–1977 | 88 |
| United States Air Force | Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star | 1954–1978 | 82 |
| United States Navy | Lockheed WV-1/WV-2 Warning Star | 1954–1971 | 145 |
| Soviet Air Forces | Tupolev Tu-126 | 1965–1984 | 9 |
| Royal Air Force | Vickers Wellington | 1944–1945 | 2+ |
| Royal Air Force | Boeing Sentry AEW.1 | 1991-2021 | 7 |