Joint STARS in Iraq:

The Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System may be a Cold War weapon, but its ability to communicate with convoys and direct air power against attacks is making the E-8C one of the most in-demand platforms in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Air National Guard Maj. Thomas Grabowski, a senior director on the E-8C deployed from Robins AFB, Ga., said Joint STARS is the “911 call” for boots on the ground. The aircraft are also used to deter insurgent activity along Iraq’s borders, using the aircraft’s radar system to target enemy activity 100 to 200 miles away.