Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass., has added a system called Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below to the repertoire of the E-8 Joint STARS to enable the ground surveillance aircraft to “see” friend vs. foe. The Army uses the system to get updates on the location of friendly troops in near real time by continuously transmitting actual locations over the network, and then sends progress reports to a tactical operations center. Five Joint STARS aircraft now have laptop computers that will receive regular updates from the FBCB2 system. Using special software, the laptops will send the data to the E-8 mission operator consoles. ESC plans to outfit the remainder of the fleet, starting this spring.
Celebrating 100 Years of Liquid-Fueled Rockets
March 11, 2026
March 16, 2026, marks 100 years since Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. Over the past century, new and ever more capable liquid-fueled rockets have literally propelled humanity into space. Why liquid-fueled rockets?