The US Air Force has extended Northrop Grumman's Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) operations through 2027.
“BACN is a pivotal strategic asset that ensures warfighters in contested environments can operate seamlessly with coordinated precision. We’ve closed critical communication gaps to enhance operational effectiveness and overall mission success. Continued investment in the BACN capability ensures that these vital communications will also safeguard the missions of tomorrow,” Northrop Grumman, vice president, secure processing and networks, Aaron Dann, stated.
On the US Air Force's most recent Pacific exercise, there was an aircraft fitted with Northrop Grumman’s BACN.
According to Northrop Grumman, the BACN system has provided stable communication between different platforms and across long distances, cut through encryption barriers, and allowed legacy and modern systems to share data in real time.
BACN has combined separate systems into one unified network. The capability was first deployed almost 20 years ago.