The Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System may be a Cold War weapon, but its ability to communicate with convoys and direct air power against attacks is making the E-8C one of the most in-demand platforms in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Air National Guard Maj. Thomas Grabowski, a senior director on the E-8C deployed from Robins AFB, Ga., said Joint STARS is the “911 call” for boots on the ground. The aircraft are also used to deter insurgent activity along Iraq’s borders, using the aircraft’s radar system to target enemy activity 100 to 200 miles away.
The Air Force is moving forward with a new, algorithm-driven system to help U.S. Northern Command better detect airborne threats. NORTHCOM and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which are tasked with protecting the homeland from attack, depend on a slew of radars and other data systems to monitor U.S.…