
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corp. a $43 million contract to retrofit the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) aircraft, trainers and laboratories. The contract has options for an additional three years to complete retrofit of the entire fleet.
The contract replaces computers in both the operator work stations (OWS) and radar signal processor, installs larger OWS displays to improve operator situational awareness and migrates the OWS operating system to a LINUX-based, open-system architecture. Upgrades to the system's on-board network infrastructure increase its bandwidth to improve communications performance for the operator.
"This transition enables our warfighters to get the most capability out of the Joint STARS system," says Bryan Lima, Joint STARS program director, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "The open-architecture technology insertion will enable cost-effective upgrades well into the future, allowing us to keep the platform relevant to address emerging threats, while also helping target and identify hostile movement more quickly and efficiently."
Joint STARS is the premier airborne command, control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform for the Air Force's air-to-ground battle management and surveillance operations. The platform provides long endurance, all-weather surveillance, and tracking of moving and stationary targets; helping U.S. and allied forces shorten the attack and decision chain.
Source: Northrop Grumman Corp.
Get curated news on YOUR industry.
Enter your email to receive our newsletters.Latest from Aerospace Manufacturing and Design
- Qatar Airways orders up to 210 Boeing widebody jets
- Digital test indicator offers larger measuring ranges
- AviLease orders up to 30 Boeing 737 MAX jets
- 256-piece general maintenance tool kit
- JetZero all-wing airplane demonstrator achieves milestones
- Cermet indexable inserts for medium turning operations
- Trelleborg acquires Aero-Plastics
- Industrial automation products, enclosed encoders