The Air Force awarded $156 million in contracts to extend deployment of its Battlefield Airborne Communication Node fleet through next June, announced prime contractor Northrop Grumman. “BACN is making a tremendous difference for our warfighters,” said Claude Hashem, Northrop Grumman’s communication systems vice president, in the company’s July 23 release. He added, “These awards are evidence of that invaluable support and the exceptional performance of the BACN program office.” The first $106 million contract modification covers the costs of operating the BACN-equipped E-11A Global Express jets, and EQ-4B Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft through June 2013. A second $50 million contract modification provides contractor maintenance support for the E-11A jets through next February, states the release. A fleet of three BACN-equipped E-11As and equal number of EQ-4Bs currently provides beyond-line-of-site communication relay to ground forces in Afghanistan. The 451st Tactical Airborne Gateway’s E-11As surpassed 3,000 total combat sorties from Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, earlier this month.
The Pentagon has concluded a new agreement to buy laser-guidance kits that turn rockets into drone-killing weapons. BAE Systems and the Defense Department announced a framework deal of up to seven years for 25,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guidance kits annually for the U.S. military.