The US Air Force has finally launched the second phase of a competition to develop a battle management command and control (BMC2) suite for the future E-10A. Three rival teams led by Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have been refining details of their bids since the air force issued a solicitation last June. The second phase was delayed while programme officials scrambled to adjust to an 18% budget cut and a sharper focus on the aircraft's cruise-missile defence role. The Northrop Grumman E-10A, which is a modified Boeing 767-400ER, would carry a phased-array radar for moving ground target and cruise-missile detection, plus the BMC2 capability.
Source: Flight International