Northrop Grumman has received two contracts from the Air Force, worth $300 million collectively, to complete non-recurring developmental activities and then begin production of the new engines for the service’s E-8C Joint STARS fleet, the company announced May 13. Work will begin immediately to convert the E-8C test bed aircraft from the current Pratt & Whitney JT3D engines to the new P&W JT8D engines. Concurrently, P&W and Seven Q Seven will begin work to produce the propulsion pod system that houses the JT8Ds as well as the engine nacelles, thrust reversers, and pylons, Northrop said. Late 2010 is the projected date for the first of the 17 operational E-8Cs to receive the new powerplants, which offer improved performance, less fuel consumption, and less noise and emissions. In addition to the new engines, Northrop is lobbying Congress to provide the Air Force with funding so that the service may install the company’s sophisticated MP-RTIP radar system on the E-8Cs to replace the aircraft’s existing ground-surveillance and tracking radar that the company contends will become obsolete next decade.
Airman Charged in M18 Shooting Death Found Dead
Oct. 27, 2025
The Airman arrested in connection with the M18 pistol discharge that killed a fellow member of Air Force security forces on July 20 in Wyoming was found dead earlier this month, an Air Force spokesperson confirmed.
