This is the Brazilian eye in the sky, the Embraer 145 ISR – Intelligence, Surveillance
and Reconnaissance aircraft – which contains some of the most advanced electronic systems
used today in modern warfare.
With its powerful radars and sensors this medium-sized platform can spot threats from
hundreds of kilometres away, gather vital information and simultaneously relay them
to allied units in real time.
This episode of Know Your Plane will focus on the military version of Embraer's successful
regional jet series that is employed by the Brazilian, Greek, Mexican and Indian air forces.
As a disclaimer, this video will cover the Embraer 145 ISR platform in general but with
a special focus on the Surveillance Aircraft model operated by the Brazilian Air Force.
Included in this video are the history of the platform, a short explanation of its different
variants and the specifications of the aircraft and its electronic systems.
The origins of the Embraer surveillance aircraft date back to September of 1990 when the Brazilian
government established two major programs focused on the Amazon region.
With land borders totalling over 11,000 kilometres the Amazon is Brazil's strategic northern
frontier and with a size of 5 million square kilometres consisting mostly of jungle and
unpopulated territory it is no wonder that monitoring the borders of the Amazon is a
challenge for the Brazilian government.
Elements that threaten Brazilian sovereignty include active guerrilla groups based across
the border and who are known to have stepped into Brazilian territory, the most notable
case being the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces, and the trafficking of both drugs
and weapons into Brazil.
Equally important to the country is the monitoring and control of the enormous airspace over
the region, the protection of the mineral resources under the Amazon forest against
illegal exploration, and the protection of the jungle and its biodiversity against pollution,
unrestricted logging activities and most notably fires who have the goal of clearing the jungle
for agricultural land – as a matter of fact by the year of 1990 these activities I just
mentioned had already eliminated over 13% of the original Amazon forest, an area larger
than France.
In order to strengthen its sovereignty and tackle the issues previously mentioned the
Brazilian government established the SIPAM (Sistema de Proteção da Amazônia /
Protection System of the Amazon) together with another program called SIVAM
(Sistema de Vigilância da Amazônia / Surveillance System of the Amazon).
One measure of these two programs included the installation of several radars across
the forest to improve monitoring capabilities over the Amazon, however because of the size
and lack of infrastructure of the area it just wasn't viable to install enough radars
to cover all the airspace over the forest, moreover these radars did not have the capability
of detecting aircraft at altitudes under 10,000 feet which proved to be another issue since
aircraft involved in drug and weapon trafficking usually fly just over the treetops.
In order to detect these low flying aircraft and cover the airspace beyond the range of ground-based
radars the Brazilian government ordered special modifications of existing air force aircraft
that were supposed to patrol the skies over the forest.
In the year of 1994 the government decided that in addition to the capability of monitoring
and controlling the airspace, this special aircraft was also to monitor the forest in
search of pollution, illegal activities and collect data for scientific research purposes
and with the goal of developing better policies for the region.
The chosen aircraft was the nimble Embraer 120 Brasília who was employed by the Brazilian
Air Force as a light transport aircraft.
During preliminary studies for the necessary modifications of the Brasília it was noted
that the equipment required was too heavy for the lightweight plane, actually the
Brazilian Air Force would need three Brasílias in order to carry all the weight of the equipment.
One of the most important pieces of equipment was the Swedish active electronic scanning
radar PS-890 Erieye who had been chosen for the SIVAM and was meant to be carried by a small
aircraft, but with the Brasilia being too light the air force began studying possibilities
for the deployment of a Boeing 727 attached with the Swedish radar by the end of 1994.
The platform of choice for the Erieye radar had not been decided by 1996, in that year
Embraer flew the long-range version of its regional jet series, the ERJ-145LR which had
a range of 3,000 kilometres.
Given the success of Embraer's civilian jet and the fact that Embraer had knowledge
of the military program since the Embraer Brasília was initially the platform of choice,
in 1997 the Embraer ERJ-145LR (Long-Range) was chosen as the platform for the Swedish
Erieye radar in the SIVAM program.
The new aircraft was to be known as Embraer 145SA (Surveillance Aircraft) and featured
several modifications which we will talk further along the video.
In total the Brazilian Air Force ordered 8 aircraft.
5 Embraer 145SA, whose Ericsson PS-890 Erieye radars were all purchased in 1998, and 3 Embraer
145RS (Remote Sensing) aircraft.
The remote sensing variant has a different radar under the aircraft that is meant for
acquiring data of grounds targets and collecting information about the terrain.
The first Embraer 145SA prototype flew on May 22, 1999 and the first Remote Sensing
prototype flew on December the 18 of the same year.
Despite some initial delays, the first batch of 3 aircraft was delivered to the Brazilian
Air Force in July of 2002.
Upon officially entering in service the Surveillance Aircraft variant was assigned the name "R-99A"
while the Remote Sensing variant became known as "R-99B".
However, there were some changes in the designation of the Brazilian Air Force in June of 2008
and since then, the Surveillance Aircraft variant became known as E-99 while the Remote
Sense variant became the R-99.
By the end of 2003, the remaining five aircraft have been delivered to the Brazilian Air Force
and all Embraer 145 ISR aircraft have since then been based at the Anápolis air force
base where they are flown by the Guardian Squadron (Esquadrão Guardião).
Up to this day the military version of the Embraer 145 is an essential asset for the
Brazilian Air Force's effort in monitoring and controlling the Amazon and the borders
between Brazil and its western neighbours.
Frequently working together with the E-99 are also the A-29 Super Tucanos who often
perform interceptions of suspicious aircraft detected by the E-99 which in turn has the
responsibility of overseeing the whole interception process.
Usually the interceptions are successful in making the small aircraft carrying drugs or
weapons land but there have been a few cases in interceptions controlled by E-99 where
the Super Tucanos had to fire warning shots, like in this case, or even shot down the
non-responding aircraft in some more extreme occurrences.
*Orders given in Spanish*
"Intercepted aircraft CP-1424...
...you are disobeying the orders from the air defense...
...our aircraft is armed and authorized to use its weapons to make you comply with the orders issued."
*Super Tucano fires warning shots*
Apart from the 8 Embraer 145 ISR aircraft
currently in service with the Brazilian Air Force, Embraer has also exported its ISR platform
to 3 other countries: Greece, Mexico and India.
These countries all operate different or modified versions of the aircraft, the specifications
for all these different models go beyond the scope of this video but here's a short history on all of them.
Greece ordered 4 aircraft in 1998 and they are a modified version of the Embraer 145SA
known as the Embraer 145H (Hellenic).
These aircraft have upgraded electronics and were all delivered in 2005.
One notable mention of this aircraft's service with the Greek Air Force is that it participated
in NATO's operation against Libya in 2011 by identifying targets and controlling aircraft
from France and Qatar in patrols, interceptions and attack missions.
Mexico purchased 3 aircraft in March of 2001 including one Embraer 145SA and two Maritime
Patrol versions to fight against drug trafficking in the south of the country and protect Mexico's
strategic areas.
The aircraft were delivered in 2004 and since then they have been integrated with Mexico's
SIVA (Integrated Air Surveillance System).
Last but not least is India which has purchased 3 aircraft equipped with a refueling probe in 2008.
The Indian aircraft are to be fitted with India's own electronic equipment.
The first flight of the Embraer 145I (India) was on December 7 of 2011 and the first aircraft
arrived on the following year for system integration with the Indian Air Force.
I should also mention that Embraer, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, had won the bid of the
Aerial Common Sensor program from the American military in 2004.
According to the program, Embraer was to supply a total of 57 aircraft to both the US Army and Navy.
However the American military cancelled the program where the Embraer aircraft would substitute
the RC-12 (King-Air), the RC-7 (Dash 7) from the army and the EP-3 Aries II from the navy.
With all these different operators mentioned let's perform a very quick explanation on
the different variants of this aircraft.
At first, we have the Embraer 145 SA, Surveillance Aircraft, whose only operators are the Brazilian
and Mexican Air Forces.
Five aircraft have been manufactured for Brazil, where the aircraft are known as the E-99,
and one airframe was sold to Mexico.
The most remarkable features include the Erieye radar mounted on the top of the fuselage and
some additional antennas mounted on the tail.
The next aircraft is the Embraer 145H, an improved version of the Surveillance Aircraft
with an upgraded Erieye radar, datalink compatible to NATO standards and flare and chaff dispensers.
Greece currently operate four of these aircraft which belong to the 380th Squadron.
The Indian Air Force purchased three EMB-145I fitted with a refueling probe.
This variant is based on the Surveillance Aircraft model, however all the electronic
equipment comes from India's Defense Research and Development Organisation.
Another aircraft is the Embraer 145 RS, Remote Sensing, which is operated exclusively by
the Brazilian Air Force and is also known as multi-intel.
With its synthetic aperture radar and multispectral imager, it can produce topographic maps, conduct
research on natural resources, analyse the soil and subsoil by its reflexivity and even
determine if the vegetation is healthy or not by measuring the absorption chlorophyll
from the air.
The last version of the Embraer 145 is the Maritime Patrol aircraft whose name is self-explanatory.
This aircraft was initially developed for the Brazilian government.
However due to changes in the requirements which asked for a four-engine aircraft with
internal weapons bay the Embraer 145 Maritime Patrol was discarded for usage by the Brazilian navy.
Mexico is the only operator of this variant having acquiring two aircraft.
Now that we've briefly talked about all variants, let's take a closer look on the
Surveillance Aircraft used by the Brazilian Air Force.
The E-99 has almost the same dimensions of the civilian Embraer 145LR, height and length
are the same - 6.75 and 29.87 metres respectively.
However the E-99 is 96 centimetres wider than the civilian plane at 21 metres thanks to
the addition of winglets which improve endurance and flight time.
It's worth pointing out that the E-99 was Embraer's first aircraft to feature winglets.
Amongst its notable modifications, the E-99 has strengthened joints between the fuselage
and the wings to accommodate the mounting of the Erieye radar and eliminate the risk
of shaking or vibration which would result in inaccurate readings from the radar.
The radar is mounted at an angle of 6 degrees because during patrols the aircraft's flight
profile is pointed slightly up in order to improve range and endurance, therefore in
these conditions the radar is pointed to the horizon.
Compared to the civilian version, you can also see the addition of several fins throughout
the aircraft with many of them working as antennas for the aircraft's electronic systems.
Also note the lack of windows on the mid-to-rear fuselage, there's where the data processing
computers are located.
Now let's move to the interior of the aircraft.
Behind the cockpit of the E-99 there is a galley and resting area that can accommodate
up to five people that are not involved with the operation of the aircraft or its electronics.
The next section of the plane consists of three interchangeable consoles where the three
operators would work.
Aft of that we have the electronic equipment including the processing computers and going
towards the rear of the aircraft you can see these six rectangles - they are actually six
fuselage fuel tank cells which add a total of 2,405 litres to the fuel capacity of the plane.
Finally, at the rearmost part of the aircraft we have a lavatory and a baggage compartment.
For a regular mission the E-99 crew consist of the two pilots, one tactical coordinator,
one electronic warfare operator and one intercept officer - therefore a total of five people.
However, the book I've read mentions that usually the mission crew is 8, so you can
add some 3 aircraft or electronic equipment technicians to the total.
The powerplant of the E-99 consists of two Rolls-Royce AE 3007 turbofan engines, the
same engines used by the civilian Embraer 145 family, therefore performance of the aircraft
is largely the same.
The maximum cruise speed of the E-99 is Mach 0.78 and its service ceiling is of 37,000 feet,
but the maximum performance of the E-99 doesn't translate to its operation.
In order to save fuel and maximize endurance the E-99 flies at around 170 knots or 314 km/h
at an altitude of 30,000 feet when patrolling the skies.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get information on the endurance nor the range of the E-99
but I would estimate a range between 3,000 to 4,000 kilometres given the extra fuselage tanks.
Other notable features worth mentioning is that the military versions of the Embraer
145 have a more powerful APU to handle all the electronic equipment and improved navigation systems
both by GPS and inertial navigation.
When talking about the electronic systems of the E-99, obviously our main focus is the
Ericsson Microwave Systems, now part of Saab, PS-890 Erieye active phased array Doppler
radar antenna mounted on the top of the fuselage.
The Swedish radar provides early warning and can detect air targets up to distances of
500 kilometres with a scan rate ranging from 3 to 12 degrees per second.
The system can also detect small and slow aircraft, such as aircraft involved in drug
trafficking, flying at speeds under 108 km/h up to distances of 450 kilometres.
According to the material I've read, the Erieye detection envelope consists of 500
kilometres to the side of the aircraft and 269 kilometres to its front or back.
Flying at high altitude, the Erieye detection area is over 500,000 square kilometres horizontally
and 20 kilometres vertically.
The Erieye radar can also detect naval targets up to distances of 350 kilometres but this
limitation is due to the angle of the plane with the horizon - because unlike some people
might say, Earth is not flat.
The system also comes integrated with a Mark X IFF capable of identifying targets up to
450 kilometres away.
In total, the radar system is capable of tracking 300 targets simultaneously while the E-99
can at the same time effectively control 6 interceptions, usually performed by the Super
Tucanos in the case of the Brazilian Air Force.
But to say that the E-99's capabilities are limited to long range detection and airspace
monitoring would be an understatement.
Adding to its powerful radar, the aircraft also features an advanced communications exploration
system capable of detecting, locating, triangulating and recording communications transmitted on
frequencies between 2MHz to 16GHz.
These communications can also be transmitted to other aircraft in real-time with a secure
datalink connection via VHF or UHF with the aid of frequency hopping techniques.
Air-to-ground communications are also possible and the E-99 takes advantage of the several
ground stations located throughout the Amazon which connect the E-99 aircraft to the SIVAM's
general coordination centre in Brasília.
Now even though the E-99 has state of the art electronic equipment onboard, I want to
make it very clear that the E-99 does not have jamming equipment or jamming capabilities,
on the contrary the E-99 is very resistant to enemy jamming.
All in all, the E-99 is modern platform capable of providing early warning and detection,
airspace management and collection of intelligence.
Adding to the advantages of this plane, the E-99 has a very short time in-between sorties
– just roughly 20 minutes – and perhaps more importantly: it is an affordable option.
Coming from the commercially successful Embraer 145 series of regional jets, the entire 145
ISR platform shares low operational cost coupled with a reduced inspection frequency and ground
time which allows the aircraft to fly over 3,000 hours annually - over 8 hours per day
of every day in the year.
To give you an idea on the operational cost of some AWACS aircraft currently in service
I've found the following data on the hourly cost of each aircraft, but please take these
numbers with a grain of salt.
The E-2 Hawkeye from the US Navy reportedly costs about $3,000 per hour, the EC-130 over
$3,500, the E-3 Sentry about $8,000 and according to the same source the E-99 would cost less
than $2,000 per hour.
However this is not to say the E-99 is the cheapest AWACS aircraft in regards to acquisition
and operational costs because there are also turbo-prop AWACS aircraft including the Saab 340
from the Swedish Air Force that is also equipped with the Erieye radar.
To conclude our video, the Embraer 145 ISR family includes some of the most advanced
military aircraft in operation today and are a good option for medium sized countries who
either can't afford or don't need the large AWACS aircraft.
Instead they can count on an affordable and versatile plane to act as their eye in the
sky that is capable of airspace monitoring and management, maritime patrol, antisubmarine
warfare, remote sensing and intelligence collection coupled with the optional in-flight refuelling.
As always, sources are in the description and I would like to thank my Patrons who helped
me in buying the one and only book written about this plane.
Hope you have enjoyed this video and see you next time!
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