The Air Force has awarded an “up-to” $532 million contract to Northrop Grumman to make improvements to the E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) aircraft. The work will include enhancements to communications, navigation, surveillance, air traffic management, mobile target tracking—much in demand by ground forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom—joint tactical radio systems, advanced radar systems, and airborne networking. USAF can expend the entire amount, but officials believe the actual work will come in under the top dollar. It’s to be completed by December 2011.
President Donald Trump’s nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff touted his highly unusual background for the job as an asset and reaffirmed his commitment to stay apolitical during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 1.