Aerospace Group:

Space

Space and Airborne Mix Likely Required for Future Joint STARS Replacement

Frank Wolfe

Wednesday, March 20th, 2024

SHARE:

Space and Airborne Mix Likely Required for Future Joint STARS Replacement

An E-8C Joint STARS flight deck at Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany before the aircraft's final sortie on Sept. 21 last year (U.S. Air Force Photo)

A mix of space and airborne assets is likely required for a future ground moving target indication (GMTI) replacement for the Northrop Grumman [NOC] E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) aircraft. While the U.S. Air Force seeks to avoid fielding large, vulnerable intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft as the service retools for "Great Power Competition" to counter China, the ISR payloads of drones may be too small for GMTI, low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites face the…

Unmanned Systems

In Response To Flag Concerns, DoD Looks To Reduce Drone Prices, As Order for 30,000 Looms

The Pentagon is bargain shopping for Group 1 drones, as other countries, including Ukraine and China, have taken advantage of consumer electronics-level prices to bolster their stables. “In last spring’s […]

Pentagon

Amid Questions On Weapons Stockpiles, Caine Says U.S. Has ‘Sufficient’ Munitions For Iran Operation

Pentagon leaders on Wednesday sought to quell concerns over the rate at which the U.S. is employing critical munitions in its military strike campaign against Iran, with lawmakers also pressing […]

Congress

SASC Leaders Criticize Trump’s Defense Strategy, Press Colby On Policy Shifts

Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) leadership on Tuesday criticized the Trump administration’s new National Defense Strategy (NDS) and pressed the Pentagon’s top policy official to explain the document’s priorities. SASC […]

Congress

Wicker Wants Legislation On DoD’s Equity Investments In Minerals Supply Chain

Legislation regarding equity investments by the Defense Department in critical mineral supply chains is needed to strengthen the larger defense industrial base and demonstrate to the “free market” that the […]