Northrop Grumman Airborne Communications System wins award for outstanding industry achievement

A Northrop Grumman Corporation-developed airborne communications system that provides warfighters with critical real-time battlefield information has been selected as the outstanding industry achievement by the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement.

The Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) received the 2010 Network Centric Warfare Award for Outstanding Achievement from a Defense Industry Partner. The award was presented during IDGA’s Network Enabled Operations conference in Arlington, Va., on Jan. 26.

Designed for use in a variety of unmanned and manned aircraft, BACN is a forward-deployed airborne communications relay and network- centric enterprise information server. BACN extends communications ranges, bridges between radio frequencies and “translates” among incompatible communications systems to enable information sharing and enhanced situational awareness.

Northrop Grumman developed BACN for the US Air Force Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., under a
Defense Microelectronics Activity contract. Since 2005, the program has evolved from a prototype to today’s operational, fielded system.

Northrop Grumman Information Systems sector, based in Reston, Va., is the prime contractor for the system.

Steve Zell, Northrop Grumman BACN program director and Col. Cordell DeLaPena, commander of the 653rd Electronic Systems Group at Hanscom, accepted the award.

“BACN is significantly enhancing combat effectiveness, by providing the speed of communications in support of time-sensitive targeting. This battlefield communication advancement gives our warfighters the capability to focus our forces while saving coalition lives in theater,” said Col. DeLaPena.

Also attending from Northrop Grumman were: Barry Rhine, vice president and general manager of the Defense Systems division; Roger U. Fujii, vice president of the Network Communication Systems business unit; Claude Hashem, vice president, Network Communications Systems, Airborne and Maritime Systems; and Paul Zavidniak, technical director,
Airborne and Maritime Systems.

The Institute for Defense and Government Advancement established the Network Centric Warfare Awards(TM) to honor, recognize and promote initiatives in the US Department of Defense, coalition governments and the defense industry that exemplify the principles of network-centric warfare and support information age transformation.

Source: Northrop Grumman