FAS | Military | DOD 101 | Systems | Aircraft | ROW ||||
Index | Search | Join FAS

S 100B Argus
SAAB 340 AEW&C

The Saab 340 is a Swedish twin-engined turboprop aircraft. An AEW version with a phased-array radar in a rectangular pod on top of the fuselage was developed in the early 1990s. In 1994 the first Saab 340 AEW & C was delivered and radar integration work was begun. In 1995 the Saab 340 AEW & C was re-designated S 100B (S = Spaning = Reconnaissance) and given the official name Argus. The Swedish air force ordered six aircraft, four of will be fitted with radar, two fitted for, but not with, radars to be used as tranports until a need for more airborne radars materialises. Some are used by Japan as Search-and-Rescue aircraft.

The Ericsson PS-890 Erieye radar uses an active array with 200 solid state modules. The range of the S-band, 3 GHz, side looking radar is 300 km. The 1,985-lb (900-kg) dorsal antenna is housed in a 29-ft 6.3-in (9-m) long box radome mounted atop the fuselage. Utilizing adaptive side lobe suppression, the look angle on each side is about 160 degrees. From its standard operational altitude of 6000 meters (19,685 feet, or FL200) the radar has a maximum range of 450 km (279 miles). Against a fighter-sized target effective range is approximately 330 km (205 miles). Seaborne targets can be detected at 320 km (1998 miles), though this is a function of the aircraft's cruising height. The electronically scanned antenna can scan sectors of interest frequently while others are monitored, and asingle sector can be scanned in different modes at the same time. The aircraft does not carry controllers (although it's large enough to do so), but functions as an an airborne radar integrated with the total air defence network.

The Saab 340 Cityliner, with its 33-seat capacity, is a passenger aircraft operated on secondary air routes with moderate traffic volume. It offers a means of providing scheduled air services to regions where current demand would not warrant the deployment of larger aircraft. Despite its small size, the Cityliner has all the facilities one would expect of an aircraft today, including advanced avionics and a fully-equipped galley.

Specifications

Country of Origin Sweden
Builder Saab-Scania Aktiebolag, Aerospace Division
Roleairborne early warning
Similar Aircraft
Wing Span 21.44 m
Length 19.73 m
Height 6.97 m
Weight 13,155 kg Maximum takeoff weight 12,930 kg Maximum landing weight
Engine 2 General Electric GE CT7-9B 1870 shp
Maximum speed 530 km/h
Cruising speed 160 knots
Range 1,300 km Maximum range with full payload
Endurance5-7 hours
Service Ceiling7,620 m
Patrol altitude6-7000 m
Runway1,290 m Minimum takeoff distance
1,035 m Minimum landing distance
Armamentnone
Crew two to five
Cost
User Countries Sweden, Japan

Sources and Resources


FAS | Military | DOD 101 | Systems | Aircraft | ROW ||||
Index | Search | Join FAS

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/saab340.htm
Maintained by Robert Sherman
Originally created by John Pike
Updated Tuesday, September 21, 1999 10:18:15 AM