Big Brother is watching...

Press, 5 October 1984, Page 4

Big Brother is watching...

The term “eye in the sky” has taken on a new meaning in Christchurch this week, with the visit of a United States Air Force AWACS aircraft. The AWACS (airborne warning and control system) aircraft is the first of its kind to visit New Zealand and has attracted plenty of attention at its Harewood park. The aircraft is here for the Triad 84 military exercise and is based in Christchurch because of the number of other aircraft already using Auckland airfields for the exercise.

The visitor is from the 961st Airborne Warning and ontrol Squadron, based at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, under the command of Colonel B. J. Gold. The aircraft is a modified Boeing 707-3208 commercial airframe, but there all similarities end. The most striking aspect of 4he AWACS is the big, rotting radar dome on top which

houses the Westinghouse radar. The dome is 9.14 m in diameter, 1.83 m thick, and mounted 3.35 m above the fuselage. It weighs seven tonnes. Pratt and Whitney TF-33 turbofan engines complete the transformation. The radar surveillance

platform is one of only 34 flown by the U.S.A.F. They first entered service in 1977. Now, five are based in Saudi Arabia (until the Saudis get their own aircraft), two are based at Keflavik Naval Station in Icelandt three at Kadena, and there is always one at

the factory. The aircraft carry a flight crew of four and a mission crew of 13 with a further three mission crew carried as extras. The radar is limited to the Earth’s horizon and has a range of 200 nautical miles fbr detecting low-fly-ing fighter aircraft from a working height of 30,000 ft. High-altitude, bomber-size target aircraft can be detected at 350 nautical miles.

The normal working height of the AWACS is between 29,000 ft and 31,000 ft.

Although capable of remarkable detection, the AWACS is a rather large target itself. Colonel Gold said this was not too much of a problem because the AWACS would normally be working from its own country or territory. “There would be a lot of people round to protect you,” he said. . Protection allocated specifically to the AWACS

aircraft would depend on a decision made by the commander, he said.

“The only way the aircraft can protect itself is to hide,” he said.

The aircraft can carry up to 35 people. It is also equipped with six crew bunks for sleeping on long missions. Unrefuelled, the aircraft can fly for 11 hours; with air refuelling it has a 22-hour limit of oil endurance.

The normal Boeing 707 carries two generators, one on each inboard engine. The AWACS systems place a much larger demand for running equipment and cooling air, so it has eight generators, two on each engine.

The AWACS will be orbiting New Zealand until the air phase of Triad 84 ends on Tuesday. After a day of crew rest, the aircraft and crew will return to Japan.