Footage show a pair of A-50U airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft at one of the airpo

Footage show a pair of A-50U airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft at one of the airports in Russia.

These aircrafts help significantly in detecting fast moving low altitude flying aerial vehicles such as FP-5 (Flamingo) cruise missiles (this is an easy target to detect from long distances up to 600 km depending on the altitudes and terrains), A-50U also detects fast jet powered kamikaze drones (usually from medium distance 150 - 250 km) as for propeller slow moving low altitude flying kamikaze drones such as FP-1 and FP-2 (these targets are a little complicated to detect, the A-50U can detect them from low to medium distances 100 - 250 km depending on the terrain, the propeller of these drones makes them easier to detect).

The A-50U utilizes the Shmel-M radar system: 1D Electronic steering for altitude (vertical/elevation) combined with mechanical dome rotating at 6 RPM for direction horizontal/azimuth, It is not an AESA or full PESA radar.

A-50U can track up to 300 targets simultaneously, depending on target types and radar operating modes. Its mission system can automatically prioritize and provide target designation data to 40 friendly fighter aircraft simultaneously (e.g., MiG-31BM, Su-35S, Su-30SM) and guide those combat aircraft to engage and intercept threats. It also provides targeting data to ground air defense systems such as S-300, S-400, Pantsir and Helicopters ect, ect.. Today Russia's Aerospace Forces constantly deploys rotations of 4 to 5 active A-50U on its western theater excluding Finland.

t.me/RussianBaZa