The Air Force’s program to install new engines on its fleet of E-8C Joint STARS ground surveillance aircraft took another step forward with the completion last week of FAA certification flight testing, lead contractor Northrop Grumman announced Oct. 22. Next up are military certification test flights, which are scheduled to begin in December using the Joint STARS testbed aircraft, the company said. The Air Force is swapping the E-8C’s current Pratt & Whitney JT3D engines for new P&W JT8D-219 powerplants that offer improved performance, including less fuel consumption and less noise. “They also allow the aircraft to climb faster and fly higher, increasing surveillance capabilities,” said Tom Vice, Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Eastern Region sector vice president. The company expect the first operational Joint STARS to have the new engines in late 2010.
How Miss America 2024 Took the Air Force Somewhere New
Dec. 20, 2024
When 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh became the first ever active service member crowned Miss America on Jan. 14, top Air Force officials recognized a rare opportunity to reach women and girls who otherwise might not consider military service as an option.