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US Air Force Global Express' to become E-11

11th July 2011 - 12:30 GMT | by Tony Osborne

RSS

The Bombardier BD-700 Global Express aircraft being used in Afghanistan in the airborne communication node mission is being christened with the designation, E-11.

The USAF announced an $18 million contract to purchase one of the Global Express aircraft already fitted with the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) payload in June.

Until now, the air force had been leasing the capability from Northrop Grumman and teammate Orion Air Group who operate three Global Express aircraft in the BACN role from Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. The operation there recently celebrated its 2,000th mission.

Northrop Grumman says the BACN aircraft use a suite

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Author

Tony Osborne

Tony was deputy editor of Defence Helicopter and Rotorhub magazines before joining Aviation Week in …

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