Their E-3 AWACS aircraft sent to Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan, for maintenance, the USAF command and control mission specialists deployed for Cope India 2006 sat down with their Indian Air Force counterparts at the IAF’s Salua Air Station ground radar system to control USAF fighter forces. It was a humbling experience—the typical ground station lacks the sophistication of the USAF E-3. Still, officials say, it got the airmen right into the heart of the exercise, building a working relationship. No word yet on the outcome of this year’s aerial engagement.
The Space Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $398 million contract to design and build a communications satellite prototype with advanced anti-jam and data processing capabilities. The service announced the contract for the Enhanced Protected Tactical SATCOM-Prototype program, or Enhanced PTS-P, May 15, and said the satellite will launch no sooner than…