Arming AEW Planes with LRAAMs/MRAAMs

[nangyale]

thread openor is talking about Long range BVR missiles. Like k-100 with range over 250 km. Not every fighter jet can carry such. Even Mki can carry only one.

AEW can carry like a dozen of it

Maybe it can. But have you put into consideration how it's going to affect loiter time and fuel efficiency. If the requirement is for heavy LRAAM to be carried in numbers then best is to use a separate platform, heavy bombers can be converted to carry dozen of them if such is the need. In future we may also see heavy UCAVs armed with such. But putting such a high value aircraft into the thick of battle by arming it with BVRs seems like not such a bright idea.
Also keep in mind that currently Pakistan doesn't have any LRAAMs in its inventory. The BVRs that Pakistan have are best carried by the fighters i-e sd-10 with JF17 and AIM-120 with F16.
I will agree with Mastana Khan's point to have a short range AAM as a last resort. But then the requirement will be for a missile with a high off-boresight as AEWs are not really manuverable. As such my suggestion will be for AIM9X

 

[Sunny Malik94]

arming them for defensive role is a good option but for an offensive role, i don't think its a wise choice

 

[geronimo]

Is it worth to arme AEW Planes with BVRAAMs the mane purpese is the AEW not the attaque,and also the cost and weight of the aircraft it's my opinion

 

[SBD-3]

arming them for defensive role is a good option but for an offensive role, i don't think its a wise choice

????? excuse me?.......

 

[Dharmachakra]

There is a strong reason why no country tried this.

ITs like putting a $400million plane up for grabs at the enemy door.
The main concept of having an AEWACS is Advanced Early warning and command and control purpose,but not an interceptor.

AEWACS usually stay away from enemy lines. Best example is Indo-Pak scenario. IAF using Phalcons with range of over 500km will put them some 200km deep inside the own territory,which still gives it a significant 300km range into the enemy territory. The 200Km inside zone is cleansed and is 99% safe.And with mig-29 escorts covering the 150km -200km zone it is well secured.And it controls the a/c from 200-500+km zone to take on enemy a/c or ground targets/sea targets.
IT technically gets a multi-layered protection.

A/C in the 200-500km friendly zone act as interceptors and block any enemy a/c crossing the 200km threshold zone.Once threshold zone is breached the escorts will take care of them,in the mean time reinforcements arrive the scene incase all friendly a/c goes down or worst case scenario is AEWACS will retreat using its own countermeasures(which never happened so far )

Despite having multi-layered defences around it, other than putting extra weight and loosing flight-time due to reduced fuel the benefits are less compared to disadvantages. Also the usual 200km inside friendly territory is also populated with ground based radars and SAM systems. AEWACS moves ahead only after specific threat zones are neutralised. ITs like cleanse then straight ahead