The war in Gaza has been raging for just over nine months now, creating a humanitarian crisis in the area. As part of efforts to alleviate the suffering in the area, U.S. Airmen from the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron, in conjunction with coalition partners, have helped support 40 airdrops of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The 430th is the only unit in the U.S. Air Force to fly the E-11A airborne communications relay planes. These modified Bombardiers have been outfitted with Northrop Grumman’s Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) payload, dubbing them the “Wifi of the sky.” This communication system allows the planes to share battlefield data with both troops on the ground and other aircraft on the mission. The Bombardiers have a big range, upwards of 6,900 miles, which makes them extremely versatile. These aircraft help ensure the success of humanitarian aid missions into Gaza or other areas in need by transmitting data about weather threats, flight safety issues, or potential enemy threats in the flightpath.
The 430th’ Commander, Lt. Col. R. Clayton “Vector” McCart, commented on the support missions, saying, “The BACN mission provides the Air Force, as well as joint and international partners, line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight interoperability, and that’s between dissimilar platforms with varying electronic capabilities.”
For their support and assistance to the people of Gaza in their time of need, the Airmen from the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron are our Unit of the Quarter for the Fall of 2024
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