With Cancellation of E-10 Air Force Moves to Modernize E-8

The US Air Force has been using the E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft for almost thirty years. Originally the Air Force planned to supplement it with the new, E-10 Multi-Sensor Command and Control Aircraft (MC2A); but that program was canceled last year. The new sensor for that system was the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP RTIP) which also is to go on the Global Hawk long range UAV. As MarketWatch.com reports the Air Force is now moving to insert the MP RTIP sensor onto the E-8 airframe. A contract was awarded to Northrop Grumman to begin that process. Read more

USAF awards satellite support contract

The US Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a contract worth over $200 M to support the DSP constellation of satellites. Northrop-Grumman will make sure the satellites are working and provide analysis of the data they collect. The company manufactured the infra-red sensors installed on them. DSP primary mission is to detect the launch of missiles and rockets. They have been used for over thirty years and will eventually be replaced by the SBIRS system.

See the press release at MarketWatch.com.