P-16 Headed For Georgia
Northrop Grumman Corporation has
delivered the 16th E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar
System (Joint STARS) aircraft to the US Air Force, a month ahead of
schedule. The company is the Air Force's Joint STARS prime
contractor.
Like all Joint STARS aircraft, the new aircraft, designated
P-16, will be assigned to the Georgia Air National Guard's 116th
Air Control Wing, a "blended wing" with both active duty Air Force
and Air National Guard personnel. The Wing is based at Robins Air
Force Base, Robins (GA).
"This delivery marks Northrop Grumman's 12th consecutive early
delivery of a Joint STARS aircraft," said Dave Nagy, the company's
Joint STARS program vice president. "Our track record of exceeding
our customer's expectations is especially significant given the
accelerating pace of operational demand on the 116th Wing personnel
and equipment."
The E-8C Joint STARS is the world's most advanced airborne
ground surveillance, targeting and battle management system. From a
standoff position, it detects, locates, classifies, tracks and
targets hostile ground movements, communicating real-time
information through secure data links with Air Force and US Army
command posts.
All Joint STARS aircraft are based
on a Boeing 707 airframe. "Each aircraft goes through a $40 million
refurbishment program at Northrop Grumman's production facility at
Lake Charles, La.," explained Nagy.
The refurbishment program consists of extensive inspection,
treatment and elimination of corrosion and the replacement of
structural components and panels as required. The aircraft are
re-wired and fuel tanks are stripped and re-sealed to increase
aircraft availability by preventing fuel leaks. The aircraft is
also brought into compliance with all outstanding Airworthiness
Directives/Service Bulletins and Supplemental Structural Inspection
Documents.
In addition, the JSTARS' Wing Structural Integrity Program
(WSIP) addresses widespread fatigue damage that has been a problem
for other 707 airframes. WISP replaces stressed lower wing planks
and stringers.
"We've invested significant time, energy and resources in making
the Joint STARS fleet the most airworthy platforms in service
today," explained Nagy. "It's given the Air Force the confidence
that Joint STARS will be able to meet the commitments of the
warfighter until at least 2025 or beyond as specified by Air Combat
Command in the Joint STARS Weapon System Master Plan."
One of the critical needs identified in Operation Iraqi Freedom
was the need for more satellite communication (SATCOM) elements.
P-16 will use an upgraded SATCOM radio to help meet this need. The
SATCOM modification allows the Joint STARS to transmit and receive
UHF SATCOM voice and digital data to beyond-line-of-sight
locations.
The Joint STARS P-16 aircraft is the sixth aircraft produced in
the so-called Block 20 configuration. The configuration features an
integrated, commercial off-the-shelf computing and signal
processing architecture that can be easily upgraded with new
technology. This open architecture allows the E-8C's hardware and
software to be cost effectively upgraded to meet future
surveillance, targeting and battle management requirements.
Northrop Grumman is currently
performing the Block 20 upgrade on the first 10 Joint STARS
aircraft delivered to the Air Force. To date, four Block 10
aircraft have been upgraded to the Block 20 configuration, with
three more in progress. "By the time we deliver the last of 17
Joint STARS aircraft next year, all of the original Block 10
aircraft will have been upgraded," said Nagy. "At that point, the
entire fleet will have the same flexible, open system
configuration, clearing the way for affordable mission upgrades
well into the future."
Besides SATCOM and the increased processing capability of the
Block 20 configuration, P-16 is the first production Joint STARS to
be delivered with a new Global Air Traffic Management capability
known as Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum. Using Reduced
Vertical Separation Minimum, the Joint STARS aircraft can reduce
the required distance between it and other aircraft sharing the
same airspace. This capability will allow Joint STARS aircraft to
safely fly more optimal routes, gain fuel savings and increase
airspace capacity.
In addition to producing Joint STARS aircraft, Northrop Grumman
provides a broad range of logistics and training support to the Air
Force under a Total Systems Support Responsibility contract. The
contract is a unique partnership between the company and the Air
Force that maximizes the operational availability and mission
reliability of the E-8C Joint STARS fleet. It has also helped
assure a seamless transition to the "blended wing" concept under
the 116th ACW.
Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector leads the Northrop
Grumman Joint STARS development team. Norden Systems, a unit of
Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector, manufactures the
Joint STARS radar sensor at its Norwalk, Conn. facility.
Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems is a premier aerospace and
defense systems integration enterprise. Headquartered in El Segundo
(CA), it designs, develops, produces and supports network-enabled
integrated systems and subsystems for government and civil
customers worldwide. Integrated Systems delivers best-value
solutions, products and services that support military missions in
the areas of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; space
access; battle management command and control; and integrated
strike warfare.