Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint STARS

E-8 Joint STARS
A U.S. Air Force E-8C Joint STARS, in flight
Role	Airborne Battle Management and ISTAR[1] Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Grumman Aerospace Corporation Northrop Grumman
First flight	1 April 1988[2]
Introduction	1991
Retired	2023[3]
Status	Out of service, on display
Primary user	United States Air Force
Produced	1988–2005[4]
Number built	17[5]
Developed from	Boeing 707

The Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) is a retired United States Air Force (USAF) airborne ground surveillance, battle management and command and control aircraft. It tracks ground vehicles and some aircraft, collects imagery, and relays tactical pictures to ground and air theater commanders. The aircraft was operated by both active duty USAF and Air National Guard units and also carried specially trained U.S. Army personnel as additional flight crew until its retirement in 2023.