Last year's NATO air war against Yugoslavia has resulted in "quick reaction" modifications to the US Air Force's Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS). Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman expects to be under contract next month to begin engineering and manufacturing (EMD) of the Radar Technology Insertion Programme (RTIP).
Operation Allied Force underlined the need for Joint STARS to operate with other command and control and intelligence-gathering platforms, such as the Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System and the Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint electronic surveillance aircraft.
As a result, Joint STARS is to exercise regularly with such platforms. In December, the E-8, Sentry and RC-135 were flown together, with the crews exchanging ideas on tactics, techniques and procedures. Joint exercises will be conducted quarterly, with the next one due this month.
During Allied Force, the E-8C's 16 mission specialists were on duty for up to 15h without relief. Under the fast-track Combat Readiness Exploitation Workstation (CREWS 2000) programme, six flat-screen displays have been added to an E-8C's crew rest area, allowing extra operators to be carried. Operations concepts for CREWS 2000 will be developed in upcoming exercises, but USAF programme officials say the workstations will become permanent Joint STARS equipment.
The RTIP upgrade- worth $1.3 billion - will keep Joint STARS in service until at least 2017. It includes the APY-X two-dimensional electronically scanned active array radar. The 105-month RTIP EMD was approved in January, with a contract expected next month. The first five RTIP E-8Cs will not be operational until 2012.
Northrop Grumman delivered the seventh Joint STARS earlier this month.
Source: Flight International
