Sig Christenson
When Iranian forces damaged a U.S. AWACS command-and-control plane sitting on the tarmac at a Saudi air base, they took out a jet often called the “crown jewel” of the Air Force. The loss of even one AWACS — leaving just 15 in service worldwide — was a blow to the military's ability to project power and protect U.S. forces. An AWACS (short for Airborne Warning and Control System) is a flying command center whose powerful radar and sensors can identify and track enemy planes and ships over a vast area.
The four-engine craft, a tricked-out military version of a Boeing 707 airliner, can transmit information on enemy movements and ensure that friendly aircraft don't mistake one another for an adversary, a vital function known as "de-confliction." The AWACS has been described as a "chess master" of the battle theater, an eye in the sky that knows where all the other chess pieces are and what they're up to.
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