E-8C Joint STARS
Program Overview:
The Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) is the most advanced targeting and battle management system in the world. As an airborne battle management and command and control (C2) platform, the Joint STARS system conducts ground surveillance, enabling commanders to develop an understanding of the enemy situation, and to support attack operations and targeting. From a standoff position, the aircraft - a Northrop Grumman-modified commercial jet - detects, locates, classifies, tracks and targets hostile ground movements, communicating real-time information through secure data links with U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army command posts. The system also can be used in peacekeeping and crisis management scenarios.
Joint STARS evolved from U.S. Air Force and Army programs to develop, detect, locate and attack enemy armor at ranges beyond the forward area of troops. In 1982, the programs were merged and the U.S. Air Force became the lead agent. As a cooperative U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army program, Joint STARS is managed by the Air Force Materiel Command's Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts. The system uses the AN/APY-7 radar developed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems in Norwalk, Conn.
Northrop Grumman exclusively maintains the E-8C. The program consists of 19 aircraft which undergo periodic depot maintenance at Northrop Grumman Technical Services operations in Lake Charles, La. The 17 operational aircraft are based with the 116th Air Control Wing, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. An additional aircraft is used as a flight trainer for 116th ACW pilots. A Joint STARS test bed aircraft is based in Melbourne, Florida, where it supports advanced technology development and testing and program upgrades. The Melbourne and Warner Robins sites are part of Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.
Additional “White Papers” on the value Joint STARS brings to the warfighter can be found at the Northrop Grumman Analysis Center website.