U.S. to consider sale of strategic surveillance aircraft to S. Korea

Image: From the net

Posted November. 03, 2017 07:27,   Updated November. 03, 2017 09:01

South Korea officially requested during an annual Security Consultative Meeting with the United States late last month that Washington sell its E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) surveillance aircraft, a South Korean government source said Thursday.

According to the source, Seoul expressed its intent to purchase sophisticated U.S. weapons systems including the JSTARS, during the meeting. South Korean defense officials, including Defense Minister Song Young-moo, cited the JSTARS as a top priority system with which to cope with North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.

The JSTARS radar aircraft is a highly strategic weapon of which the United States strictly bans overseas sale. However, Washington responded by expressing its will to positively consider the request. In a joint statement after the security meeting, the two allies agreed to strengthen cooperation in the South Korean military’s acquisition of state-of-the-art U.S. weapons systems.

The JSTART, which played key roles in the Gulf War and Iraq War, was deployed to South Korea in November 2010 for the first time to closely monitor the North Korean military’s movement immediately after the North’s artillery attack on South Korea’s frontline island of Yeonpyeong Island. It was also deployed to South Korea during last month’s joint naval exercise on the South Korean waters, along with a U.S. nuclear powered aircraft carrier battle group.

Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com

Original post: donga.com

E-8C Joint Stars

Mission

The E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, or Joint STARS, is an airborne battle management, command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform. Its primary mission is to provide theater ground and air commanders with ground surveillance to  support attack operations and targeting that contributes to the delay, disruption and destruction of enemy forces.

Features

Air craft commander Maj. Ben (left) flies an E-8 Charlie along with co-pilot Capt. Ryan (top right), as flight engineer Senior Master Sgt. Curtis monitors the aircrafts systems during a training exercise for the Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System at Warner Robins Air Force Base, Ga., Feb. 13, 2013. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Andrew Lee)

The E-8C is a modified Boeing 707-300 series commercial airframe extensively remanufactured and modified with the radar, communications, operations and control subsystems required to perform its operational mission. The most prominent external feature is the 27-foot (8 meters) long, canoe-shaped radome under the forward fuselage that houses the 24-foot (7.3 meters) long, side-looking phased array antenna.

Side-looking phased array antenna - defencetalk.com

The radar and computer subsystems on the E-8C can gather and display detailed battlefield information on ground forces. The information is relayed in near-real time to the Army and Marine Corps common ground stations and to other ground command, control, communications, computers and intelligence, or C4I, nodes.

Crewmembers in an E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft pass targeted information to fighter and bomber aircraft during an exercise in the Korean Peninsula area July 29. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Rey Ramon)

The antenna can be tilted to either side of the aircraft where it can develop a 120-degree field of view covering nearly 19,305 square miles (50,000 square kilometers) and is capable of detecting targets at more than 250 kilometers (more than 820,000 feet). The radar also has some limited capability to detect helicopters, rotating antennas and low, slow-moving fixed wing aircraft.

As a battle management and command and control asset, the E-8C can support the full spectrum of roles and missions from peacekeeping operations to major theater war.

Background
Joint STARS evolved from Army and Air Force programs to develop, detect, locate and attack enemy armor at ranges beyond the forward area of troops. The first two developmental aircraft deployed in 1991 to Operation Desert Storm and also supported Operation Joint Endeavor in December 1995.

Team Joint STARS men and women have contributed tremendously to overseas contingency operations, flying more than 85,000 combat hours in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn Odyssey Dawn, and Unified Protector. Their operational resume includes support of six Combatant Commands including U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Southern Command, U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Europe Command.

Team JSTARS was the first organization in the U.S Air Force to activate under the Air Force's Total Force Initiative as a "blended" wing. America's first "Total Force" wing, the former 93rd Air Control Wing, an active-duty Air Combat Command unit, and the 116th Bomb Wing, a Georgia Air National Guard unit, were deactivated Oct.1, 2002. The 116th Air Control Wing was activated blending Guard and active-duty Airmen into a single unit. In October 2011, the Active Associate construct was formed by the newly activated 461st Air Control Wing as a member of Team JSTARS.

Team JSTARS through the 116th ACW is the only unit that operates the E-8C and the Joint STARS mission.

General Characteristics
Primary function: airborne battle management
Contractor: Northrop Grumman Corp. (primary)
Power plant: four Pratt and Whitney TF33-102C
Thrust: 19,200 pounds each engine
Wingspan: 145 feet, 9 inches (44.4 meters) Length: 152 feet, 11 inches (46.6 meters) Height: 42 feet, 6 inches (13 meters)
Weight: 171,000 pounds (77,564 kilograms)
Maximum takeoff weight: 336,000 pounds (152,409 kilograms)
Fuel capacity: 155,000 (70,306 kilograms)
Payload: electronic equipment and crew
Speed: 449 - 587 mph (optimum orbit speed) or Mach 0.52 - 0.65 (390 - 510 knots)
Range: nine hours
Ceiling: 42,000 feet (12,802 meters)
Crew: (flight crew), four; (mission crew) normally 15 Air Force and three Army specialists  (crew size varies according to mission)
Unit Cost: $244.4 million (fiscal 98 constant dollars)
Initial operating capability: December 1997
Inventory: total force, 16

(Current as of September 2015)

Source: af.mil

Re-engined JT8D-219 

"The JT8D-219 engine will enable a re-engined Joint STARS aircraft to operate with more thrust, while consuming less fuel, compared to the TF33 engines originally installed. This gives the Joint STARS aircraft higher operational altitude and longer mission duration, while significantly reducing the maintenance burden of the older engines. It's a win-win proposition for our U.S. Air Force customer."

Among the engine's configuration modifications are: a nickel high-pressure compressor rotor system that provides enhanced corrosion resistance, external changes to accommodate mounting the engine under the aircraft's wing, an enhanced bleed override system, and higher load-carrying towershaft and gearbox elements to accommodate increased power extraction.

If the U.S. Air Force chooses to retrofit its entire Joint STARS fleet, production quantities could be in excess of 80 engines. The JT8D-219 engine is assembled and tested in Pratt & Whitney's Middletown, Conn., facility. Source: aero-news.net

SPECS

• Fan Tip Diameter: 39.9–49.2 In
• Length, Flange To Flange: 120.0–154.1 In
• Takeoff Thrust: 14,000–21,700 Lb
• Flat Rated Temperature: 77–84°F
• Bypass Ratio: 1.0–1.7
• Overall Pressure Ratio: 15.8–21.0
• Fan Pressure Ratio: 1.92–2.21

Source: pw.utc.com