HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (April 1, 1996) -- The two Joint STARS E-8s and part of the squadron operating them returned March 29 to Florida from Rhein-Main AB, Germany, where they had been supporting the NATO peacekeeping mission to Bosnia since mid-December.
The rest of the combined military and contractor team is returning over a two week span.
Flying an E-8A and the E-8C development aircraft, the Joint Strategic Target Attack Radar System team broke its 49 mission record of Operation Desert Storm with a 50th flight on Feb. 14. The crews went on to fly 89 operational missions, meeting every sortie assigned.
"This is just one more example fo the fine teamwork that exists between the pepole in the Joint Test Force, the program office at Hanscom, the contractor's team, the Army and the Joint STARS people at Robins AFB, Ga." said Program Director Col. Robert W. Chedister. "With the great team we put togoether to form the 4500th Joint STARS Squadron, the deployment had to be a success."
Commander in Chief of the U.S. European Command Gen. George A. Joulwan hailed the success of the system in a message to 4500th Joint STARS Squadron (Provisional) Commander Col. Robert deBusk.
"Your efforts in support of U.S. and Allied roops deployed in the former Yugoslavia have been greatly appreciated and contributed immeasurable to the safe conduct of their mission," Joulwan said. "You have also provided me and other senior commanders with valuable information in the level of compliance with the Dayton Peace Accrods.
Although the aircraft were still in a test program when deployed, the joint team was able to sustain a 98 percent mission ready rate and a 100 percent mission completion rate. These " ... are the envy of many more mature systems. You have set a standard few will exceed,"Joulwan said.
The return home comes just a week after the first production E-8C was delivered to the Air Force by prime contractor Northrop Grumman.
At the acceptance ceremony in Melbourne, Under Secretary of the Air Force Rudy deLeon said, "The other side knows that as long as there is a system like Joint STARS flying, and as long as those orbits are being run, he cannot hide."
The system will be based at Robins AFB, Ga., where the first production aircraft is now. In several weeks that aircraft will be formally turned over to Air Combat Command and become part of the newly formed 93rd Air Control Wing, commanded by Col. Ben T. Robinson.
For more information, contact Roy Heitman via email- heitmanr@Radium-VS1.hanscom.af.mil
or at ESC's Office of Public Affairs - (617) 377-4466