The United States Air Force and other coalition forces are using airborne surveillance radars (ASRs) to help them to protect troops as they go on patrol and to provide support during combat. Many have argued that it does not provide as much protection as a ground-based surveillance system, however there are many more reasons why a surveillance system on an aircraft is more effective at the same level of protection. When compared with passive surveillance systems, ASRs are much more flexible and can better detect and report enemy activity. They can also be reconfigured to better fit a given mission and for a given setting.
This extra operational time gives the ASRs team more time to react to any new or developing threat and to execute a plan to defend their troops. Because of this ability, a well prepared ASRs can make a larger impact on a potential hostile takeover than a simple radar gun or surface scanning devices. If a hostile takeover occurs and an enemy makes an initial contact, a well-positioned ASR system can give the combat team advance warning and increase the odds of making a successful defense against that enemy. It is also useful to have this kind of system if a base station were to be compromised by enemy infiltrators.
When a combatant needs to engage in a protracted conflict, it can be nearly impossible to get more surveillance for the same price or as rapidly as they would like. Many of the surveillance systems being used today were designed for long-term use and will need to be maintained annually. These maintenance requirements can quickly eat into the budget of any military or peacekeeping force. The extra costs involved with maintaining an airborne surveillance on an aircraft does add up over time, however in many circumstances this added cost is worth it.
Airborne surveillance systems are most often used in counter-insurgency operations. This means that they are used to scout out areas that are known to contain volatile materials or to gather intelligence on a subject before it becomes sensitive enough to be attacked. Some of these systems are also used to prevent the enemy from capturing important infrastructure in a region. For example, an aircraft surveillance team may be deployed if a city is about to fall to an insurgent group.
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