The term AWACS is the name of a military aircraft derived from the initials of Airborne Warning and Control System. The AWACS aircraft is manufactured by the American Boeing company. It is equipped with advanced radar, tracking, surveillance, and early-warning systems. AWACS took its first flight in 1975. The aircraft can fly at a speed of about 800 kilometers per hour, reach an altitude of approximately 12,200 meters, and cover a distance of up to 7,000 kilometers without refueling.

The sophisticated and powerful equipment of the AWACS (E-3A), operating with the help of its distinctive disc-shaped antenna—about 9.144 meters in diameter and mounted on two pylons above the fuselage—enables it to independently perform the functions of several ground-based radar networks, as well as tasks beyond the capabilities of such systems.

This system can detect surface-to-air missiles from a distance of up to 400 kilometers, with the exception of the Russian SA-5 and S-400 missiles. It then relays the collected data to friendly aircraft, extending their operational radar range and enabling detection beyond the limits of their onboard radar systems.

During operations, the AWACS radar rotates six times per minute, while under normal conditions it rotates at one-quarter of a turn per minute. With each rotation, it receives around 600 return frequencies, of which its computer analyzes 200—corresponding to 200 distinct targets. When flying at an altitude of 30,000 feet, the aircraft can monitor all airborne objects at distances exceeding 200 miles. It provides air and ground controllers with essential information such as altitude, speed, direction, and range of targets. When operating over the sea, it can monitor the movement of naval units, track targets such as patrol boats and warships, and guide friendly naval forces towards their objectives with high precision. Each AWACS aircraft is capable of covering an area of approximately 120,000 square miles.

Due to the complexity and multitude of its systems, the AWACS requires a crew of seventeen to operate and control it, including four flight crew members and thirteen specialists responsible for radar operations, computer systems, communications, and related functions.

Because of its high cost, advanced capabilities, and sophisticated technology, only a limited number of countries—including the United States, some NATO members, the Zionist Regime, and Saudi Arabia—operate this aircraft.

In the spring of 1977, as part of its ambitious military policies, the Pahlavi regime proposed the acquisition of seven AWACS aircraft to the U.S. government under President Jimmy Carter. The deal would have generated approximately 1.2 billion dollars in profit for the United States. Despite his campaign promises—made in competition with Gerald Ford—not to sell advanced military technology to other countries, including those in West Asia, Carter submitted the proposal to the U.S. Congress. The Congressional Committee on International Relations opposed the sale and urged the government to postpone the matter, citing the fact that delivery of the aircraft would take nearly four years. In September 1977, Carter reintroduced the proposal, arguing that Iran, as a U.S. ally in West Asia, needed these systems to ensure its security. Congressional debates continued, and CIA officials joined the opposition, raising concerns about the possibility of Soviet access to the aircraft. The Iranian government countered by claiming that if the United States refused to sell the technology, Tehran could pursue alternatives, potentially including European competitors. Ultimately, on October 8, 1977, the U.S. Congress formally approved the sale of the AWACS aircraft to Iran.

However, November 1977 marked the beginning of a series of political and historical developments that would profoundly reshape Iran–U.S. relations. These events culminated in the victory of the Islamic Revolution in early 1979. After perceiving its interests in Iran to be at risk, the U.S. government officially announced in February 1979 the cancellation of arms sales to Iran, including the AWACS aircraft deal. About a year and a half later, with the outbreak of Iraq’s invasion of Iran and a consequent shift in U.S. strategic focus in the broader West Asian region towards strengthening ties with Saudi Arabia, the United States provided several AWACS aircraft to Saudi Arabia.

Throughout the eight-year Iran–Iraq War, Iraq made extensive use of intelligence gathered with the help of these aircraft, with technical and advisory support from the United States. The information gathered by Saudi-based AWACS was supplied to the Iraqi military at a time when the U.S. embassy in Baghdad had been closed for more than twenty years.

Less than two years after the end of the war, AWACS aircraft took to the skies once again—this time tasked with identifying strategic targets inside Iraq and transmitting related information to the command headquarters of Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War.⁠[1]