Initial phase of JSTARS effort begins Published April 11, 2014 Robins Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- A recapitalization effort of the Air Force's Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System will be taking off at Robins, home of the 116th Air Control Wing and the E-8C JSTARS aircraft. Led by a team from Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., the goal toward replacing the aging fleet and beefing up its ability to detect threats, process data and distribute information has already begun. The current system is comprised of radar and computer systems, which display real-time battlefield information, and a 24-foot long antenna that's capable of detecting targets from long distances. JSTARS, which first flew during Desert Storm in 1991 and has been a consistently used military asset for nearly two decades, operates on refurbished commercial 707 airframes. But, the aging fleet must adapt to the times. Robins represents the Air Force's single source for manned C2/ISR. The fact that a follow-on platform for JSTARS is the Air Force's No. 4 acquisition priority is telling of the importance of the role Robins plays for combatant commanders at home and abroad. "Our team has more than 14 years of employing the JSTARS weapons system. The 116th also has experience in adapting to mission changes," said Col. Kevin Clotfelter, 116th Air Control Wing commander. He went on to say that the interaction with the 461st Air Control Wing and U.S. Army 138th Military Intelligence detachment leads to success. Born out of necessity, the recapitalization effort sprung from a 2011 study that examined options for conducting the JSTARS mission most effectively - and efficiently - going forward. It resulted in a recommendation to deliver an advanced radar and on-board computer system on a significantly smaller, more efficient business jet class airframe. Early work on the effort is already under way and is expected to accelerate in fiscal 2015, if Congress authorizes about $73 million allotted for the program in the presidential budget. Currently, the recapitalization is in its infancy, and the Hanscom-based team is conducting risk reduction studies and market research for the aircraft, radar and communications. This is potentially good news for small businesses. Under this premise, the Air Force hopes to promote competition, enabling new capabilities to be added more quickly and more affordably. As the next generation fleet comes online, the Service intends to fully retire the remaining aging aircraft. With a tentative initial operational capability slated for the first quarter of fiscal 2022 and a potential full operational capability scheduled for fiscal 2025, the Air Force has made its modernization efforts clear.