Northrop Grumman to continue BACN mission support
Northrop Grumman will continue operating and supporting the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) system for overseas contingency missions for the US Air Force under an $89.7 million contract announced on 6 August.
BACN is a high-altitude, airborne communications and information gateway that connects warfighters in the air and on the ground. The system translates and distributes voice communications, video, imagery and other battlespace information from numerous, often disparate, sources to improve situational awareness and enable better coordination among warfighters and commanders.
The US Air Force has deployed four BACN E-11A systems and three BACN EQ-4B Global Hawk systems in support of operations in Afghanistan to great effect. Work is now underway to establish BACN as a program of record.
Jeannie Hilger, vice president and general manager, communications division, Northrop Grumman Information Systems, said: ‘BACN is making such a tremendous difference for our warfighters that it is regarded as indispensable for mission success. The amount of positive feedback BACN receives from our warfighters is a testament to the critical support BACN currently provides and an inspiration to continuously enhance the system's capabilities.’
Northrop Grumman envisions BACN serving as a persistent high altitude gateway in the Joint Aerial Layer Network (JALN) to provide secure communications to disadvantaged warfighters and network connectivity across the battlespace.
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