Article Posted on : - Jun 17, 2015

An artist's conceptual image of the JSTARS Recap business jet platform. Photo: Lockheed Marin.

PALMDALE, CALIFORNIA (BNS): Raytheon Company and Bombardier have teamed with Lockheed Martin to deliver a low-risk, affordable solution for the United States Air Force's JSTARS Recapitalization programme.

The Lockheed Martin-led team will provide the Air Force capabilities superior to the current JSTARS. The team will also deliver a true open system architecture to allow the government to own the technical baseline for future upgrades and reduce life cycle cost, a Lockheed Martin statement said.

Lockheed Martin will serve as the lead systems integrator for the programme and Raytheon will bring to the team their experience with ground surveillance, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, mission systems integration, and JSTARS communications.

Bombardier will provide its ultra-long-range Global business jet platform, which is less expensive to operate than modern airliners and is uniquely suited to the JSTARS mission by allowing the on-board radar to see further and deeper into valleys and survey the battle space for extended periods of time without refuelling.