WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The second of four Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) upgraded aircraft were delivered to the French Air Force on Wednesday, US aircraft manufacturer Boeing said in a statement.
“With the declaration of initial operating capability (IOC), the French Air Force is able to utilize the new capabilities of the Mid-life Upgrade to protect our national and international interests,” Lieutenant-Colonel Olivier Duplessy, French Air Force AWACS Program Officer, said in the statement on Wednesday.
The upgrades will increase the AWACS surveillance and communications capabilities, according to the statement.
“AWACS crew members will experience reduced workload, receive more actionable information and have better situational awareness thanks to these enhancements,” the statement added.
The AWACS aircraft have radar atop a modified Boeing 707, and are used by NATO and the United States to provide long-range air-based detection of aircraft, ships and ground targets.
