Sweden Finalizes AEW&C Contract With Pakistan
In June 2006, Saab signed a SEK 8.3 billion provisional contract to supply S100B Argus turboprop airborne early warning (AEW&C) systems to Pakistan. According to earlier reports at Pakistani Defence, Pakistan aimed to buy 14 SAAB 2000 aircraft from Sweden: 7 for the PAF's AEW&C role as Argus aircraft, and the remaining 7 for the state-owned PIA airline. Saab releases, however, have made no mention of a passenger version.
The Saab aircraft beat a number of other competitors, including Bombardier's Dash-8/Q200 and US offers to sell the E-2C Hawkeye system. The Argus AEW&C award also caps a 25-year quest by the Pakistani Air force. The buy was recently reduced somewhat for financial reasons to 5 aircraft, but the first plane has now been rolled out"¦.
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In "SAAB 2000 & ERIEYE AWE&C system,"a Pakistani government site explains the operational need for these aircraft, and chronicles their pursuit of the 707-based E-3C AWACS aircraft and related systems since 1979. Indeed, Pakistan had pursued the Erieye system before, but had been rejected several times under Sweden's military export policies. With that roadblock clear, Pakistan has engaged in long negotiations with Saab that have finally come to fruition. With respect to the new aircraft's radar capabilities, the article notes that:
"The Ericsson PS-890 Erieye radar uses an active array with 200 solid state modules. The range of the S-band, 3 GHz, and side looking radar is 300 km. The 1,985-lb (900-kg) dorsal antenna is housed in a 29-ft 6.3-in (9-m) long box radome mounted atop the fuselage. Utilizing adaptive side lobe suppression, the look angle on each side is about 160 degrees. From its standard operational altitude of 6000 metres (19,685 feet, or FL200) the radar has a maximum range of 450 km (279 miles). Against a fighter-sized target effective range is approximately 330 km (205 miles). Seaborne targets can be detected at 320 km (198 miles), though this is a function of the aircraft's cruising height. The electronically scanned antenna can scan sectors of interest frequently while others are monitored, and a single sector can be scanned in different modes at the same time."
That last bit is a reference to the AESA radar's ability to scan ground and air activity at the same time, rather than switching between these modes as conventional radars do. An Australian airpower article explains the potential benefits of AESA radars against other AEW&C offerings like the E-2C Hawkeye – and also notes the limitations of the S100B/Erieye system:
"The limitation of the two sided array is that it can only cover two 120 degree sectors abeam of the aircraft, leaving 60 degree blind sectors over the nose and tail of the aircraft, and reduced antenna performance from 45 degrees off the beam aspect. Another limitation stems from the use of an airframe too small to accommodate a comprehensive self contained command, control and communications system, and other sensors such as a capable ESM and track association system."
Saab's corporate release notes that "two third of the order value is for Saab and one third for Ericsson Microwave Systems [for the PS-890 Erieye radars], witch is, after the Saab acquisition, expected to be a part of Saab in September 2006." DID recently covered that acquisition.
April 24/10: Pakistan's 2nd of 4 Saab-2000 aircraft lands at an operational base, as preparations are made to induct it into the fleet. PTI.
Dec 14/09: Pakistan's Daily Times quotes Minister for Defence Production, Abdul Qayyum Khan Jatoi, who confirms that the 1st Erieye AWACS plane has reached Pakistan, and 3 more planes are expected in 2010. Karachi News.
Oct 21/09: In a ceremony in Linköping, Saab and the Pakistan Air Force celebrate the start of the final tests of the new Erieye AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircraft. The aircraft is currently undergoing system tests in Sweden, which aim is to evaluate the complete system including aircraft, radar, C2 system, communication and live situation picture. Follow on testing in Pakistan later in 2009, including integration into the Pakistan Air Force's Command & Control Ground Environment.
May 28/09: Pakistan's Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, is quoted by Pakistan's The News International as saying that Pakistan would begin receiving its AWACS planes by October 2009.
April 3/08: China's government-controlled Xinhua reports that the first Saab 2000 Erieye aircraft for the PAF was rolled out in Sweden and prepared for flight trials by the year end, after being equipped with a full suite of mission systems. "The Pakistan Air Force achieved a major landmark in its Airborne Early Warning Program with the roll out of its first Saab 2000 AEW&C in a simple but impressive ceremony at the Saab facility in Sweden," the PAF statement said.
The aircraft will be put through trials before being delivered to the PAF in 2009. See also Flight International's photo coverage, which puts the total number of Saab 2000 aircraft at 5.
May 28/07: Maybe not quite finalized. A Saab release states that:
"With reference to the sale of Saab Airborne Surveillance Systems to Pakistan, the customer has for financial reasons and in accordance with the original contract, asked to renegotiate part of the contract concerning a reduction of the number of systems. Together with Saab terms and conditions then have been agreed, concerning a reduction. Saab and the Government of Pakistan continue as planned with the delivery of the system.
As a result of the renegotiation, the order value is decreased by approximately SEK 1.35 billion [DID 8.3B – 1.35B = 6.95B, a 16.3% reduction and about $1 billion at a May 28 conversion]. Income will decrease proportionally to the volume change, but other commercial terms and conditions will remain unchanged."
The number of planes in the revised order was not specified, but a later report placed the total number of Saab 2000 aircraft in the revised order at 5. If the original order had been 6, a 16.3% reduction is about right.
June 22/06: Saab announces a SEK 8.3 billion (approx. $1.15 billion at then-rate conversion) provisional contract for Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) surveillance systems using Saab 2000 turboprops equipped with Ericsson's Erieye radar.
"Two third of the order value is for Saab and one third for Ericsson Microwave Systems, witch is, after the Saab acquisition, expected to be a part of Saab in September 2006."
