Northrop Grumman says it has tested an enhanced targeting capability on a Joint STARS test aircraft, on which crews demonstrated “precision and long-term tracking of maritime targets.” Testers also used a current standard off-the-shelf server, integrating it into the aircraft’s data management baseline. Use of COTS hardware is not new to Joint STARS; Northrop changed over the entire fleet to “open systems” configuration in 2005. Northrop received a contract for the Enhanced Land/Maritime Mode system earlier this year.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
