ELTA Systems to display CAEWS at Aero India 2009

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is all set to display its Gulfstream G-550-based conformal airborne early warning and control (CAEW) system to the Aero India 2009 starting from 11 february 2009 in Bangalore. The CAEWS, developed by IAI's ELTA Systems subsidiary has to date been ordered by Israel and Singapore, with the first Israeli platform being delivered in February 2008 and the second following in May 2008. The CAEWS is equipped with the ELTA-built EL/W-2085 system, uses AESA antennae at the nose and tail, with large slab-sided arrays on the fuselage sides. Together, these give 360° airspace coverage without the complication and drag of a rotodome above the fuselage. Each CAEWS carries six operators, and also has ESM antennae under the tail and wingtips, and above the nose, with a SATCOM array atop the vertical tail. Radar, ESM and COMINT data is collected and fused to give a fully correlated and synthetic air situation picture. The aircraft’s structural, aerodynamic and power modifications, including two additional generators and a low-drag liquid cooling system, are all installed on the aircraft by Gulfstream Aerospace prior to delivery to ELTA, and the mission sensors/management suite is then installed in country by IAI’s Bedek Aviation Group. Singapore has ordered four such platforms that will be delivered through to 2010. The CAEWS offers an unrefuelled mission endurance of 9 hours when operating at an altitude of 41,000 feet (12,500 metres) and 185km (100nm) from its home base.