USAF officially designates aircraft flying Battlefield Airborne Communications Node system
The two different aircraft platforms that fly the Northrop Grumman Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) system have been officially designated by the US Air Force as the E-11A and the EQ-4B.
According to a statement by Northrop Grumman, the Bombardier Global Express BD-700 received the new E-11A designation, reflecting BACN's special electronic mission role. The Northrop Grumman Global Hawk RQ-4Bs modified to host the BACN system have been re-designated as EQ-4Bs.
On 21 September, the air force awarded Northrop Grumman a $43 million, five-month contract extension to operate, support and maintain two E-11A aircraft and to operate and maintain the BACN payload.
BACN is a high-altitude, airborne communications gateway system that maintains operational communications support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The persistent connectivity BACN provides improves situational awareness and enables better coordination between forward-edge warfighters and commanders.
‘This new designation of the manned and unmanned BACN aircraft reflects a unique aircraft mix that provides theatre commanders complimentary capabilities to support the BACN missions,’ said Claude Hashem, vice president and general manager of the Network Communications Systems business at Northrop Grumman's Information Systems sector.
'The E-11A business jets provide rapid tactical deployment options, while the EQ-4B unmanned systems provide long endurance and unsurpassed persistence capabilities.'
Since the system was first deployed to support Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2008, BACN has flown more than 25,000 operational hours in over 2,500 missions and delivered a mission availability rate of 98%.
More from Digital Battlespace
-
US Space Force increases efforts to plug training capabilities gaps
The service has been seeking simulation and emulation solutions capable of reproducing multiple in-orbit threats.
-
US Space Force bets big on the use of AI to improve its capabilities
The service has been conducting several acquisition and upgrading efforts involving artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve communication, data analysis and ISR systems.
-
Thales selected for Syracuse satellite communications terminals for French vehicles
The Syracuse 4B communications satellite, developed by Airbus and Thales Alenia Space, was launched last year, bolstering secure military satellite communications for the French Armed Forces. Thales has now been selected to provide terminals for vehicles.
-
The New Battlefield: Space Defence, Emerging Threats, and Strategic Opportunities (Studio)
The growing importance of space in modern warfare, advancements in satellite technology, and increasing threats from rivals like China and Russia were among the topics of a Eurosatory 2024 panel on military space operations.
-
BAE Systems to provide radios for South Korean aircraft
AN/ARC-232A is a Starfire radio that provides VHF/UHF communications to airborne platforms and the transceiver is software-programmable, allowing for multiple waveform support as well as optional national electronic counter counter-measure (ECCM) capability.
-
Lockheed Martin to work with DARPA on AI effort
During the 18-month period of the contract, Lockheed Martin will apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques to create surrogate models of aircraft, sensors, electronic warfare and weapons within dynamic and operationally representative environments.