Aircraft

ANorthrop Grumman-led team has announced it has won an initial contract worth $256 million contract to provide the Boeing 767-400ER based E-10A multi-sensor command and control aircraft (MC2A) to the US Air Force.

The testbed development deal, originally expected at the end of last year, covers the design and analysis phase of the E-10A technology development programme (TDP) until initial design review due in May. It follows a 2003 contract for the MC2A team, which also includes Boeing and Raytheon, to demonstrate key technologies.

The Northrop Grumman E-10 MC2A is a replacement for Boeing 707-based E-3 Sentrys, E-8 Joint STARS, and RC-135 Rivet Joints in service currently. The MC2A is intended to be a theatre-wide aerial combat control centre.

"The E-10A TDP is designed to test the next-generation wide area surveillance system, which is designed to provide advanced integrated ground and air surveillance targeting capabilities available to the warfighter," says Dave Nagy, vice president of Northrop Grumman's Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance Programmes.

The E-10A programme is managed by Air Force Material Command's Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachussetts.