Presentation of NATO ' s Boeing AWACS fleet modernisationA general view of the Boeing AWACS during the presentation of the modernisation contract between NATO and Boeing AWACS in Melsbroek Airport near Brussels , Belgium , 27 November 2019 . NATO and the Boeing Company signed a one billion USD contract to modernise the Alliance ' s fleet of AWACS aircraft . NATO currently operates a total of 14 AWACS airplanes , built to detect enemy aircraft and missiles in the airspace of NATO . The planes were first introduced at NATO in 1982 . EPA / STEPHANIE LECOCQ ▶ 확 달라진 연합뉴스 웹 을 만나 보 세요 ▶ 네이버 [ 연합뉴스 ] 채널 구독 ▶ 뭐 하 고 놀 까 ? # 흥