The new aircraft arrived early this morning and is expected to be stationed at Minhas Air Base. Pakistan initially ordered six Erieye AEW&C aircraft in 2006 but reduced the order to four due to an earthquake that year. Subsequent orders in 2017 and 2020 have further expanded Pakistan’s Erieye fleet.
In addition to the Erieye AEW&C aircraft, Pakistan has shown interest in enhancing its aerial capabilities amidst regional competition with India. In 2021, Pakistan ordered 25 J-10C fighter jets from China, with the first batch delivered on March 4, 2022. Pakistan also actively uses the Chinese-made ZDK-03 AEW&C system.
The Erieye AEW&C, developed by SAAB, is built on the Saab 2000 twin turboprop passenger aircraft. It performs various tasks, including situational awareness, border surveillance, and search and rescue missions. The Erieye system features an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar operating on the S-Band frequency. It includes a friend-or-foe identification system, data link communication systems, multi-role mission consoles, and electronic intelligence (ELINT) capabilities. The aircraft has a maximum endurance of 9.5 hours, a range of 2000 nautical miles, a cruising speed of 340 knots, and a service ceiling of 30,000 feet.
