Surveillance (ASO) and Electronic Combat
Officers (ECO), Communications Systems
Operator (CSO), Senior Surveillance (SST),
Air Surveillance (AST), Computer Display
Maintenance (CDMT), Airborne Radar (ART)
and Communications Technicians (CT).
The crew is responsible for the command,
control, surveillance, communications/
electronic and management functions.
During North American Aerospace
Defense Command (NORAD) operations,
more personnel can be added to the crew.
As well as Battle Director Technicians (BDTs)
specifically trained to support the mission,
the complement may also include a NORAD
Airborne Battle Commander (NABC) and
Weapons Resource Officer (NWRO).
Sentries are operated by five active
duty USAF squadrons within Air Combat
Command (ACC) and two under the Pacific
Air Forces (PACAF). Most of the fleet,
comprising 27 aircraft, is assigned to units
under the 552nd ACW’s Operations Group
(OG) at Tinker and four Sentries are evenly
split between the 3rd Wing/3rd OG at Joint
Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and the
18th Wing/18th OG at Kadena.
A single Air Force Reserve Command
(AFRC) associate squadron is also assigned
to the 513th Air Control Group (ACG) at
Tinker. Activated in March 1996, it shares
responsibility for operating and maintaining
the aircraft assigned to the active duty units.
As part of its Fiscal 2015 budget
submission, the USAF disclosed plans
to retire seven E-3s – but elected officials
blocked the move and the plan was ‘re-phased’; the retirement was shifted to Fiscal- More recently, with the release of the
FY19 Defense Budget the USAF revealed the
seven aircraft would be retained and receive
the DRAGON upgrades, along with advanced
management and surveillance bridge
capabilities that will improve their ability to
conduct air-to-ground battle management.
Sentries have spent considerable time
supporting of CENTCOM since beginning
their first deployment to Southwest Asia in
March 1979. The initial placement saw two
dispatched to Saudi Arabia to monitor a
border war between North and South Yemen.
In September 1980, the 552nd ACW
sent four E-3s at the request of the Saudi
government, the jets bolstering the Saudi
air defences during the Iran-Iraq War under
Operation European Liaison Force One.
Aircraft and crews were stationed in
Riyadh from October 1, 1980 to April 16,
1989, during which time they flew around
87,000 hours, logging some 6,000 sorties.
DESERT SHIELD/STORM
The Sentry was among the first aircraft
deployed in support of Operation Desert
Shield in August 1990, following the Iraqi
invasion of Kuwait. The USAF sent 11 E-3As
to Riyadh while three operated from Incirlikin Turkey providing round-the-clock radar
coverage over the region.
During the subsequent Desert Storm,
E-3s provided radar surveillance and control
for more than 120,000 coalition sorties
and assisted in nearly all the air-to-air kills
recorded during the conflict.
E-3s flew 385 sorties in support of Desert
Shield and 379 during Desert Storm, totalling
of 7,315 hours, and later supported Operation
Northern and Southern Watch.
Sentries also controlled allied airpower
over the former Yugoslavia region during the
Kosovo War, which began in March 1999. As
part of NATO’s Operation Allied Force, NATO,
USAF and RAF E-3s logged approximately
4,800 flight hours on around 500 missions,
which involved co-ordinating and tracking
offensive and defensive missions, searching
for enemy aircraft and assuring safe
separation of inbound and exiting aircraft.
The type also provided initial CSAR co-
ordination and directed aerial refuelling efforts
over the Adriatic Sea. While most sorties
involved NATO E-3As, three USAF aircraft
logged 47 missions over the course of the
78-day air campaign.
Following the terror attacks of September
11, 2001, USAF E-3s conducted round-the-
clock missions over the homeland as part
of Operation Noble Eagle from September- With its own E-3s heavily committed to
worldwide operations, the US government
requested assistance from NATO, marking
the first time in the alliance’s history that it
had been called to defend the United States.
Between October 9, 2001 and May 16, 2002
66 Aviation News incorporating Jets April 2018USAF SENTRY ORDER OF BATTLE
Squadron Location Aircraft Wing/Group Command Tail code
960th AACS Tinker AFB, Oklahoma E-3B/C/G 552nd ACW/OG ACC OK
961st AACS Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan E-3B/C 18th Wing/OG PACAF ZZ
962nd AACS JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska E-3B/C 3rd Wing/OG PACAF AK
963rd AACS Tinker AFB, Oklahoma E-3G 552nd ACW/OG ACC OK
964th AACS Tinker AFB, Oklahoma E-3G 552nd ACW/OG ACC OK
965th AACS Tinker AFB, Oklahoma E-3G 552nd ACW/OG ACC OK
966th AACS (FTU) (Note 1) Tinker AFB, Oklahoma E-3G 552nd ACW/OG ACC OK
968th EAACS (Note 2) Al Dhafra AB, United Arab Emirates E-3B/C/G 380th AEW/EOG AFCENT
Det 1, 605th TES (Note 3) Tinker AFB, Oklahoma E-3B/C/G 505th CCW/TEG ACC OKAIR FORCE RESERVE COMMAND
970th AACS (Note 4) Tinker AFB, Oklahoma E-3G 513th ACG ACC OK
Notes: 1 – Formal Training Unit. 2 – Expeditionary squadron supported by deployed aircraft and personnel. 3 – No aircraft assigned Det. 1 605th TES and the 505th
Test & Evaluation Group are located at Nellis AFB, Nevada and conduct Operational Test of ISR weapons systems; 605th TES and 505th Command & Control Wing
are located at Hurlburt Field, Florida. 4 – Unit operates E-3B/C/G as an associate to the 552nd ACW.Above left: Captain Jeff Dale (left) and 1st
Lt John Zanfardino at work in an 960th
Airborne Air Control Squadron E-3 Sentry
on September 7, 2015. USAF/Staff Sgt Stacy L
Fowler
Above right: An E-3 Sentry over the desert
during Operation Desert Shield. USAF62-67_e3sDC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 66 02/03/2018 17:54