500 and Counting

The Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom AFB, Mass., announced delivery to USAF of the 500th Combat Track II unit, intended primarily as an airborne intelligence system for mobility air forces, but also in use on some bombers, to improve situational awareness of threats and friendlies. Production of the CT II is under contract to Boeing, which noted in a release last month that the 500th system would go to support 17th Air Force at Ramstein AB, Germany. Col. David DeNofrio, commander of the 950th Electronic Systems Group at Hanscom, said that CT II is “praised by users and is a critical asset for cockpit situation awareness and threat avoidance in theater.” ESC plans to deliver and sustain CT II until at least 2016 when officials now expect to begin fielding a successor, Mobility Air Forces-Data Link Integration. (Hanscom report by Chuck Paone)