Northrop to continue BACN mission support for USAF

Northrop Grumman has received two contract modifications from the US Air Force (USAF) to continue operation and maintenance of the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) system in support of overseas contingency missions.
The new $156m extension follows the $106m contract modification previously secured by the company to extend the deployment and operation of BACN payloads, which are integrated in three E-11A Bombardier Global Express BD-700 aircraft and three EQ-4B Block 20 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Northrop Grumman network communications systems vice president Claude Hashem said: "BACN is making a tremendous difference for our warfighters. These awards are evidence of that invaluable support and the exceptional performance of the BACN programme office."
Operations under the new contract will continue into June 2013, with Northrop also receiving a $50m contract extension for platform maintenance support of three E-11A aircraft in February 2013.

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Northrop to supply airborne mine hunting systems to Japan

AN/AQS-24A Airborne Minehunting System. Photo: Northrop Grumman.

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND (BNS): Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a series of follow-on contracts by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) to supply three additional AQS-24A airborne mine hunting systems.

The contracts, which also include airborne electronics and ground-based support equipment, follow an initial contract awarded in October 2011 for Northrop Grumman to deliver Japan's first AQS-24A.

The JMSDF will use all four complete AQS-24A airborne mine hunting sonar systems on its new MCH-101 helicopters, according to the company statement.

The AQS-24A is a high speed mine-hunting system that is primarily towed from the MH-53E helicopter, but has been easily adapted to the JMSDF version of the EH-101 aircraft.

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