9 photos of the A-50U, the Russian AWAC plane in Syria that could harass US ships during a potential strike

The US appears on the verge of striking Syria after the government allegedly carried out a gas attack over the weekend. But Russia has vowed to shoot down any US missiles with its air defenses, including the S-400, its most advanced missile defense system.Russia's A-50U airborne early warning and control plane could help Russian missile defenses with targeting acquisition, as well asdisrupt the US' missile targeting, accordingto Russia Today, a state-owned media outlet.The "Russian military may use a limited responseusing airborne electronic warfare equipment to harass the American ships, messing up their target acquisition, geolocation or even AEGIS anti-aircraft systems," RT reported.The A-50U is a "giant flying data processing center" used to detect and track "a number ofaerial (fighter jets, bombers, ballistic and cruise missiles), ground (tank columns) and surface (above-water vessels) targets,"Sputnik, another Russian state-owned media outlet, previously reported.It also informs "command centers aboutthe developments inthe air and sea, and directing fighter and strike aviation."Here's what it can do:SEE ALSO:8 photos of the S-400 in Syria, Russia's most advanced missile defense system that the US could go up againstThe A-50U made its first flight in 2011, and is the most recent upgrade of the original A-50, which entered Russia's service in 1989.Source: SputnikBased off the Ilyushin Il-76 airframe, the A-50U can track surface targets up to 186 miles and aerial targets up to 373 miles.Source:The National InterestThe A-50U's dome on top, which Russian crews call the "mushroom," is a 36-foot diameter Shmel-M radar consisting of two antennas that rotates 6 times per minute.The Shmel-M radar "works in a quasi-constant search mode," according to The National Interest.Source:The National InterestSee the rest of the story at Business Insider
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