The Air Force plans to replace the capability that it would have put on the now-canceled E-10 sensor and battle management airplane by upgrading the E-8 Joint STARS, according to Lt. Gen. Donald Hoffman, military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition. The service’s 18 E-8s will all get new radars and new engines, but not the CFM-56s that are on KC-135Rs. The big-bypass turbofans were too bulky and would have interfered with the radar, Hoffman told Air Force Magazine Friday. The insides of the E-8s will feature new workstations, too.
ACC Unveils New Way to Measure Readiness
May 9, 2025
Air Combat Command is changing how it measures and tracks readiness for its fleet of aircraft, with a top general saying the focus is on “simplicity” and better articulating what its wings need.