HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (Jan. 13, 1997) -- The second production E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System was delivered to Air Combat Command at Rhein-Main AB, Germany and began flying operational missions four days later.
"We received the second production E-8C from Northrop Grumman on Dec. 14, I flew in it to Rhein-Main on Dec. 22 and it made a local flight the next day," said Col. Robert H. Latiff, the system program director. "Two days later, the plane flew a mission in support of Operation Joint Endeavor."
Latiff returned with the E-8C test aircraft Dec. 25, leaving, for the first time, only production versions of the plane flying operational missions by the 93rd Air Expeditionary Group (Provisional).
"We received great refueling support from the 101st Air Refueling Wing (ANG) of Bangor, Maine, both coming and going," Latiff said. A KC-135 provided aerial refueling en route to Germany, in addition to ground refueling and support at Bangor International Airport when the test aircraft was returned to Melbourne, Fla.
The third production E-8C is at Northrop Grumman’s Lake Charles, La., facility being remanufactured. It will be flown to Melbourne this summer to have the prime mission equipment installed and is expected to be delivered to the 93rd Air Surveillance and Control Wing at Robins AFB, Ga., this fall.
For more information, contact Roy Heitman via email- heitmanr@hanscom.af.mil
or call at ESC's Office of Public Affairs - (617) 377-4466