GFAFB wing to field E-11 mission at Georgia base

Update 5 PM:

The Grand Forks Air Force base is preparing to handle command and control support for aircraft designed to handle real-time communication in various conditions. The proposed plan would have the Air Force’s E-11 Battlefield Airborne Control Node aircraft mission at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia report to the 319th Reconnaissance Wing in Grand Forks. The assignment is contingent on congressional approval on the retirement of E-8 aircraft at Robins and is likely to begin next year. The E-11 aircraft and a squadron of active duty personnel will enable communications support to the joint force on the battlefield. The Air Force currently has three E-11 aircraft and should eventually have a full fleet of nine planes.

AP

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Original story:

The Air Force says that the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base will now provide command and control support for the E-11 Battlefield Airborne Control Node aircraft mission.

The proposed plan is contingent on Congressional approval of the retirement of four E-8 JSTARS aircraft at Robins Air Base in Georgia.

Under the plan, an E-11 squadron at Robins would be a geographically separated unit reporting to the 319^th.

As part of its fiscal year 2020 budget request, the Air Force requested to begin retiring four E-8 aircraft next year, which would make way for a new E-11 Battlefield Airborne Control Node mission at Robins.

Officials say the E-11 B-A-C-N aircraft and a squadron of active duty personnel will enable communications support to the joint force on the modern battlefield.

The B-A-C-N is a U-S airborne communications relay and gateway system carried by the manned E-11A aircraft and the unmanned EQ-4B.