USAF Designation for BACN Global Express?

[Apophenia]

Not sure if this is the right spot to ask this question ...

Northrop Grumman has a JUON contract for three more Bombardier Global Express airframe to convert to Battlefield Airborne Communications Node platforms for the USAF. The contract also covers installation of BACN in two Global Hawks. So, questions are:

1 - Has the USAF designation been applied to the Bombardier BD-700-1A10 airframe?

2 - Will the RQ-4B designation be revised for the Global Hawk BACN platform?

 

[Apophenia]

1 - Has the USAF designation been applied to the Bombardier BD-700-1A10 airframe?

For those keeping score, it's E-11A Global Hawk Express. No clue yet on the BACN RQ-4B designation.

 

[Stargazer]

1 - Has the USAF designation been applied to the Bombardier BD-700-1A10 airframe?

For those keeping score, it's E-11A Global Hawk. No clue yet on the BACN RQ-4B designation.

Uh?? Global Hawk or Global Express? Why would the BD700 be called Global Hawk like the RQ-4??

 

[Apophenia]

Uh?? Global Hawk or Global Express? Why would the BD700 be called Global Hawk like the RQ-4??

Ack!! E-11A Global Express. (Note to self: no future posting unless well-caffeinated!)

 

[Grey Havoc]

Has happened to me more than once, although I'm more of a tea guy myself.

 

[Grey Havoc]

By the way, it looks like the USAF have bought out the lease on two of the E-11s.

Sept 30/11: Orion Air Group, LLC in Newport News, VA receives a $50 million firm fixed price contract to buy 2 of the leased “E-11A” Global Express BD-700-1A10 jets, serial # 9355 & 9358, including their engines. The aircraft and engines were provided to the Pentagon by Northrop Grumman, under a sub-lease for operations (FA8726-09-C-0010). Now we know why the Sept 21/11 contract had that re-painting option.

US Air Force Materiel Command, Electronic Systems Center, Airborne Networks Division at Hanscom Air Force Base, MA manages this contract (FA8307-11-C-0014). Sept 21/11: Northrop Grumman Systems Corp.’s Defense Systems Division in Herndon, VA receives a 5-month, $43 million extension to a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to operate and maintain the other 2 E-11A Global Express BACN jets, serial numbers 11-9355 and 11-9358. This contract also provides for the operation and maintenance of the BACN payload by Northrop Grumman, and offers an option to re-paint the 2 BD-700 aircraft to USAF specifications (FA8726-09-C-0010, PO 0035).

July 8/11: Northrop Grumman Systems Corp.’s Defense Systems Division in Herndon, VA receives a 4-month, $20.7 million extension to a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for operate and maintain E-11A Global Express BACN jet, serial number 1-900. This contract also provides for the operations and maintenance of the BACN payload (FA8726-09-C-0010, PO 0032).

Defense Industry Daily

The Air Force seems to be publicly still refering to the BACN equipped Global Hawks simply as RQ-4B Block 20's.

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/11900572/Mystery-jets-strange-flight-path-leaves-Scottish-plane-spotters-baffled.html

Possibly related?

 

[Ian33]

Global Hawk is EQ-4.

 

[Kiltonge]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/11900572/Mystery-jets-strange-flight-path-leaves-Scottish-plane-spotters-baffled.html

Possibly related?

Despite the MoD's denial it was indeed an RAF Sentinel, ZJ692 as SNAPSHOT1. I had it active on Mode-S through the afternoon.

Flight path is a familiar pattern for their maritime surveillance profile ( which of course the MoD also declines to confirm / deny ) which appears to be related to tracking submarine movements. Perhaps up-heave of ocean surface over a submerged hull? Who knows, but RORSATs have been able to do that for decades.

 

[Machdiamond]

ok so it is unrelated to BACN, just a Sentinel transponder accidentally left on (UK MoD did confirm). Nothing to see. Mods how about deleting last 4 posts.