
The U.S. Air Force, which has been preparing to replace its aging E-8C JSTARS ground-surveillance aircraft with a modified civil jet, has begun exploring whether a different approach might be more effective in highly contested environments.Any changes in the acquisition plan could be reflected in the Air Force’s fiscal year 2019 budget request, due out early next year, the service said Sept. 12.Increasing threats, such as advanced air defenses fielded by potential adversaries, “are driving us to evaluate alternative approaches,”…