E-8C Joint STARS
Program Overview:
The Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) is an airborne battle management and command and control (C2) platform. This system conducts ground surveillance, enabling commanders to develop an understanding of the enemy situation, and to support attack operations and targeting. Joint STARS is the most advanced targeting and battle management system in the world. From a standoff position, the aircraft - a Northrop Grumman-modified Boeing 707/300 series commercial aircraft - 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 USAF and U.S. 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.
Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector exclusively maintains the E-8C. The program consists of 19 707 aircraft which were refurbished and modified at Integrated Systems' operations in Lake Charles, Louisiana. One of the aircraft is used as a flight trainer for pilots at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia where the 17 operational aircraft are based with the 116th Air Control Wing. The Joint STARS test bed aircraft is based in Melbourne, Florida, where it supports advanced technology testing and development and program upgrades. The Melbourne and Warner Robins sites are part of Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems.
