A Northrop Grumman statement Tuesday says the company has gotten word from the Air Force that the service has decided “to end” the E-10A Multi-Sensor Command and Control Aircraft Weapon System Integration program. Apparently, USAF did not fund the WSI in its 2008 budget request. Last year, the service acceded to the Quadrennial Defense Review, relegating the program to demonstrator status only and predictions were that the end would come in the 2008 budget. Northrop’s VP for intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance programs, Dave Nagy, said, “Over the next 30 days, we will be exploring options for the future of the [Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program Wide Area Surveillance] sensor and [Battle Management Command and Control] system.” He added, “The taxpayers have made a significant investment in this critical technology.”
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.