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Abstract
An Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) System is an airborne multi-sensor system designed to detect Air-and Surface-Targets. Used at a high altitude, the system allows the operators to distinguish between friendly and hostile aircraft hundreds of kilometres away. The AEW&C aircraft is used for defensive and offensive air operations. The system is used offensively to direct fighters to locations of their targets and defensively to counter attacks. It can also be used to carry out surveillance, command and control, and battle management functions. The paper traces the evolution of the AEW&C System in the global scenario and compares the Indian effort to tailor-make an optimal state-of-the-art system to meet specific requirements of the Indian Air Force.