Raytheon and Bombardier have teamed with Lockheed Martin to deliver a low-risk, affordable solution for the United States Air Force’s J...
Raytheon and Bombardier have teamed with Lockheed Martin to deliver a low-risk, affordable solution for the United States Air Force’s JSTARS Recapitalization program.
The team offers the ultra-long range Bombardier Global business jet based platform with lower operating cost and superior capabilities to replace the present USAF fleet of E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System.
The current E-8C aircraft, based on a Boeing 707 airplane which ushered the jet transportation age in 1954, was developed by Northrop Grumman and is proving to be high on operations and maintenance costs.
The team will also deliver a true open system architecture to allow the government to own the technical baseline for future upgrades and reduce life cycle cost.
Lockheed Martin will serve as the lead systems integrator for the program and Raytheon will bring to the team their experience with ground surveillance, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, mission systems integration, and JSTARS communications.
The Bombardier has already supplied its Global business jet for the USAF' Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) program.
The Joint STARS uses a multi-mode side looking radar to detect, track, and classify moving ground vehicles in all conditions deep behind enemy lines. The aircraft is the only airborne platform in operation that can maintain realtime surveillance over a corps-sized area of the battlefield.
USAF operates 16 E-8C in airborne battle management role, instrumental in all combat operation carried out since achieving Initial operating capability in December 1997.
