An E-11A BACN aircraft arrives at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, in April 2023. The US Air Force is planning to decommission its seven BACN aircraft by the end of Fiscal Year 2028. (US Air Force/Joseph Mather)

Why Is the US Air Force Retiring Its E-11A Comms Aircraft?

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The E-11A BACN has proven its worth—but the plane is vulnerable to attack, and too few in number to make a major difference on the battlefield in a future conflict.

The US Air Force plans to retire all seven of its E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communication Node (BACN) communications aircraft by Fiscal Year 2028 (FY28), with the aircraft’s mission set being shifted to satellite communications (SATCOM).

The announcement was made in joint testimony to Congress, showing that the Air Force is moving from airborne communication relays to a space-based network architecture. 

The Air Force’s BACN Is Cooked

“We will fully divest the E-11A in FY2028, with the Hybrid SATCOM Terminal program providing a near-term bridge in capability,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, and Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman wrote in a report submitted to Congress.

The E-11A is a modified Bombardier Global........

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