USA Spending $532M to Upgrade its E-8 J-STARS Eyes in the Sky

Northrop Grumman Corp. in Melbourne, FL received a $532 million cost-reimbursement fixed-price contract to procure improvements, which will increase the performance capability, reliability and maintainability of the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (J-STARS) aircraft. With their advanced ground-looking radars and sensors, and extensive communications intercept capabilities, J-STARS aircraft act as airborne command and control centers, helping to coordinate both ground forces and their supporting air cover. They have been deployed in every major crisis situation since Desert Storm.

The USA currently has 17 E-8 J-STARS aircraft in its fleet, built around the airframe of the Boeing 707-300 airliner. With respect to this upgrade effort....

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