Aircraft
Three Contractors Advance for Air Force JSTARS Replacement
The service awarded pre-engineering and manufacturing development contracts to Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman.
A U.S. Air Force crew works aboard an E-8C airborne command and control and surveillance aircraft. (Courtesy: Northrop Grumman)
A U.S. Air Force crew works aboard an E-8C airborne command and control and surveillance aircraft. (Courtesy: Northrop Grumman)

The U.S. Air Force awarded preliminary development contracts to Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman for its effort to replace the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JStars) with a newer aircraft. An unnamed fourth bidder was eliminated from contention, according to the contract awards announced on August 7.