ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Air Force officials announced April 15, 1991, that Robins AFB had been selected as the U.S. main operating base for the E-8C Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System aircraft. The primary mission Joint STARS has been to provide theater ground and air commanders with ground surveillance over land and water to support attack operations and targeting that contributes to the delay, disruption and destruction of enemy forces. When it came into play, it was pivotal in the Coalition’s victory in the Persian Gulf War. In February 2022, the Air Force retired its first E-8C JSTARS, beginning the divestment of the E-8C fleet.