Librería Samer Atenea
Kálamo Books
Librería Elías (Asturias)
Librería Kolima (Madrid)
Librería Proteo (Málaga)
Before a single missile could be fired or a single fighter could scramble, one question decided the outcome of the air war over Iraq and Kuwait: who would see the enemy first? Sentinels of the Sky tells the story of the aircraft that answered that question - the Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS - and the radar technology, crews, and command network that helped the coalition seize control of the skies during Operation Desert Storm.This is a technology-focused military history, not a light overview. It traces the engineering path from early radar picket ships and the Vietnam-era EC-121 Warning Star to the pulse-Doppler breakthrough that let a rotating radar dome see a low-flying aircraft against the clutter of the earth below. It explains how a modified Boeing 707 became a flying command post carrying a rotodome, a mission computer, and a crew of specialized weapons directors and surveillance officers - and how that crew turned raw radar returns into the real-time coordination that guided thousands of coalition sorties.Readers get a clear, well-organized account of how AWACS supported the opening night of Desert Storm, how it helped coalition fighters dominate the air-to-air fight, how it deconflicted enormous strike packages and tanker tracks, and how NATO’s own multinational E-3A fleet contributed alongside Saudi, British, and French aircraft. The book does not shy away from the campaign’s harder lessons, including a clear-eyed chapter on friendly fire and the real limits of even the most advanced radar of its era.What’s inside:- The engineering story behind the E-3 Sentry’s radar, rotodome, and mission systems- How weapons directors and surveillance officers trained for and executed real-time air battle management- A detailed account of the opening night of Desert Storm and the air-to-air campaign that followed- NATO’s E-3A component and the international coalition of AWACS-type aircraft- Comparisons with sister systems like JSTARS, Rivet Joint, and the Navy’s E-2 Hawkeye- A timeline, glossary, and FAQ section for quick reference
