Russian A-50E AWACS  appeared in the airspace over Syria.

The Beriev A-50 (NATO reporting name “Mainstay”) is a Russian Airborne early warning and control (AEW) aircraft based on the Ilyushin Il-76 transport.

The A-50E airborne early warning and contol aircraft is intended to perofrm the following missions: detection, tracking and IFF determination of the air and surface targets, surveilance, command, control and communication functions for both commands posts of automatic control systems, guidance of fighters to air targets and attack aviation to serface targates.

Earlier  German Defense Ministry informed about that NATO is preparing to relocate E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft from Germany to Turkey’s Konya base, to monitor airspace at the border with Syria. A third of the personnel will be from Germany.