The Department of Defense plans to demonstrate the Joint Surveillance and
Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) in Europe Oct. 17-28.
JSTARS is a long-range, air-to-ground surveillance and battle management
system consisting of an E-8 aircraft and associated ground station modules
being developed for the U.S. Air Force and Army by Northrop Grumman and
Motorola. JSTARS addresses a critical need to provide field commanders the
ability to look deep behind hostile borders to detect and track ground
movements.
JSTARS is a viable candidate to meet the requirements of a NATO ground
surveillance capability, recently validated by Supreme Headquarters Allied
Powers Europe. Operating with the NATO Airborne Warning and Control (AWACS)
aircraft -- which provides airspace situational awareness -- a complementary
NATO owned and operated JSTARS would provide NATO with its own capability to
observe the situation on the ground during crises and peacekeeping operations.
An "in production" system, such as JSTARS, could provide NATO an initial
operational capability by the turn of the century. The European demonstration
provides an opportunity for senior officials of the NATO nations to see JSTARS
first hand, as they move toward decisions on a ground surveillance capability
for NATO.
Flights by the E-8 aircraft along with Ground Station Module demonstrations
are planned for RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, (Oct. 19), Brussels, (Oct. 24,
25), NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, Germany (Oct. 27) and Paris (Oct. 28).
Ground Station Module only demonstrations are scheduled at other sites (e.g.
Bonn, London, and SHAPE Headquarters) and times in addition to those in
conjunction with E-8 flights.
For information on the deployment contact Major Alvina Mitchell, Air Force
Public Affairs, (703) 695-0640.
