The much-heralded E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) test bed aircraft developed by Northrop Grumman recently completed the second of two deployments to the Naval Air Station at Point Mugu, CA. These deployments were in support of the United States Navy’s Joint Surface Warfare (JSuW) Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) to test its Network-Enabled Weapon (NEW) architecture, with the Joint STARS aircraft (see figure) effectively serving as the heart of the network.

The aircraft executed three operational utility assessment flights to demonstrate its capability of guiding anti-ship weapons against surface forces as part of the NEW architecture. Serving as the network command-and-control node, the Joint STARS aircraft shows its prowess in protecting networked pilots from anti-aircraft weapons from other ships as well as from shore-based weapons. At the same time, the aircraft served as a node for transmitting in-flight target message updates to an AGM-154 C-1 Joint Standoff Weapon carried by Navy F/A-18 fighter aircraft, using its advanced long-range tracking and targeting capability.

“The demonstration enabled participants to see how Joint STARS helps protect pilots by enabling the delivery aircraft to stay out of the anti-aircraft missile envelope of warships and shore based anti-aircraft missile batteries,” explains Jay Casey, Northrop Grumman JSuW Program Manager. Adds US Navy Captain Carl Chebi, Precision Strike Weapons Program Manager: “The fact that Joint STARS performed almost flawlessly is a testament to the exceptional efforts by the team and will help bring this critical net enabled weapons capability to the warfighter.”

“This JSuW JCTD leverages the investment made in the successful DARPA Affordable Moving Surface Target Engagement program and is a follow-on to Joint STARS’ participation in the Air Force’s Resultant Fury demonstration,” Casey notes. “The results of this demonstration today using the Enhanced Land/Maritime Mode (ELMM) capability again shows the value Joint STARS provides to our joint forces. In 2011, Northrop Grumman will begin to integrate the ELMM capability across the entire 17-aircraft fleet.”

“The capability developed in this JCTD will provide a quantum leap in a
Commander’s ability to conduct surface warfare with increased lethality to enemy forces and increased survivability of friendly forces,” says US Air Force JSuW Program Manager Brittany Ridings. “From the Joint STARS perspective, the demonstration was completely successful, as we were able to meet all objectives. We transmitted a series of in-flight target update messages that were received and positively acknowledged, and the simulation indicated that the weapon would hit its target effectively.”

The 17-aircraft Joint STARS fleet is the only all-weather, long-range, real-time, wide area surveillance and battle management and command and control weapons system in the world. It is flown by the 116th Air Control Wing based out of Warner Robins, GA. January 14, 2011 marked the 20^th anniversary of the first Joint STARS aircraft’s initial operational combat sortie, as a developmental test aircraft system, during Operation Desert Storm.