Northrop Grumman to Train, Sustain US Air Force Home Station for Critical Gateway Technology

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Northrop Grumman Corporation was selected by the U.S. Air Force for multiple awards to support the first Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) home station in the continental United States.

Built on Northrop Grumman’s lineage in delivering end-to-end communications, networking solutions and proven experience keeping fleets flying across the globe, the awards include:

• Home station activation to establish the BACN ground and payload operations and support at Robins Air Force Base (AFB), Georgia.
• Training for Air Force personnel to operate the BACN payload and platform.
• Global sustainment and operations for technology-infused contract logistics support for worldwide deployment of both the platform and the BACN payload capabilities, including associated support equipment.
• Modernization with Ka-Band SATCOM upgrades overseas which will enable new missions for the warfighter, enhance command and control beyond line-of- sight to nearly global coverage and provide highly resilient communications with increased bandwidth and quality of service.

Northrop Grumman to Train, Sustain US Air Force Home Station for Critical Gateway Technology

Northrop Grumman’s Battlefield Airborne Communications Node arrives at new home station at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. (Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force)

Expert:

Jenna Paukstis, vice president and general manager, networked information solutions, Northrop Grumman: “We view the activation of the BACN home station as a testament to the operational relevancy and strategic capability of our gateway technology. This is the next step in delivering persistent battlespace command and control for the U.S. and its allies.”

Details on BACN:

The BACN E-11A provides a high-altitude, airborne communications gateway that translates and distributes voice and tactical data from disparate elements to enhance situational awareness, communications and coordination for joint warfighters operating across all domains.

Most recently, Northrop Grumman delivered the first BACN E-11A to its new home at Robins AFB.

Since the platform’s first deployment in 2008, Northrop Grumman delivered six BACN payloads and provided around-the-clock support to maintain readiness for BACN E-11A operations spanning more than 223,000 combat and non-combat flight hours.