ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE – The Joint STARS fleet of the 116th Air Control Wing is complete with the receipt of the 17th and final E-8C aircraft received on Friday.
The completion of the fleet has taken 10 years, and dignitaries such as Governor Sonny Purdue, Representation Jim Marshall, Senator Saxby Chambliss, and Maj. Gen. David Poythress were on hand to bring home the $244 million aircraft.
Also on hand to receive the aircraft were David Nagy, vice president off the Joint STARS Airborne Ground Surveillance and Battle Management Systems and Brig. Gen. George Lynn, commander of the 116th Air Control Wing.
The aircraft is an airborne battle management, command and control intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance platform.
The primary mission of the aircraft is to conduct ground surveillance to develop understanding of the enemy situations, support attack operations and targeting that contributes to the delay, disruption and destruction of enemy forces.
Chambliss said since 1996 this fleet was a vision of the future and all of a sudden it was a reality and as soon as it arrived it was deployed.
“We are a part of a team that fought awful hard to make sure we continued the road to secure these 17 aircraft. We want to ensure that not just in this war but any war that we maintain not only air dominance but dominance on the ground,” Chambliss said.
All speakers present had supportive comments about the JSTARS fleet and the 116th Air Control Wing, the first ever USAF Total Force Wing, which combines active duty and Air National Guard personnel.
“We’ve come from the delivery of the first aircraft too becoming second to no system of intelligence gathering in the world. These aircraft are making a difference in real-time information for ground troops in combat and keeping our troops alive.” Governor Perdue said.
Lynn said, “This aircraft has the ability to do the impossible, it’s outstanding no matter what the obstacle is it will allow the best wing (116th ACW) to be even better.”
“Welcome home, you are here at last,” Lynn said as he looked out the hanger at the E-8C that sat in the rain and will be in the air as soon as next week. The plane’s nose tag or the art displayed on it an American flag with the words, “Let’s Roll,” will commemorate September 11, 2001.
Lynn continued, “This is only a milestone, but it is important for the future of the fleet. We know have the leverage to have aircrafts deployed and here for training and local missions.”
Nagy said, “We’ve only just begun to mark a historical transition to focus and stay on the cutting edge of technology. It’s our number one job to support missions at home and overseas, we will not fail.
