DVIDS – News – 430th EECS begins operations with new E-11A BACN

For the 430th Expeditionary Digital Communications Squadron “Black Wolves,” delivering communication protection to the American warfighter, the nation’s allies and coalition companions is a major goal.

The 430th EECS is the one unit within the U.S. Air Power that operates the E-11A plane with the Battlefield Airborne Communication Node or BACN payload. As such, the Black Wolves attempt to offer constant and efficient communication channels for air, floor and maritime forces within the U.S. Central Command space of duty.

“The 430th helps warfighters who conduct across the clock operations within the CENTCOM AOR,” mentioned Lt. Col. Todd Arthur, the 430th EECS commander. “We provide communication protection to floor and air forces in lively fight zones, who require constant, clear communications to greater ranges of management and different command and management property.”

To assist hold the 430th’s fleet airborne projecting fixed fight communications assist, the Air Power and Air Fight Command procured a brand-new E-11A, which arrived at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia on Dec. 16, 2022.

“This new E-11A will relieve the strain on the remainder of our fleet and allow us to maintain a excessive mission succesful fee,” Arthur mentioned. “Having a further plane will give our upkeep crew one other choice to reliably put fight airpower into the skies.”

Basically functioning as a low earth satellite tv for pc, or “Wi-Fi within the sky,” the E-11A is used to offer prolonged aerial command and management capabilities to air property and troops on the bottom.

The E-11A is the one plane of its type within the Air Power, and the entire pilots with the 430th EECS are all volunteers from different airframes.

“Identical to America is a melting pot of different nationalities, the 430th is really a melting pot of the Air Power,” Arthur mentioned. “We’ve got fighter pilots, bomber pilots, transport pilots, tanker pilots, particular operations pilots, coach pilots, take a look at pilots, a program supervisor and three enlisted profession fields.”

For the reason that BACN mission’s inception in 2008, the 430th has constantly delivered hundreds annual flight hours and confirmed to be a vital part to fashionable conflict combating.

With the excessive mission success charges, the E-11A has demonstrated within the Center East, and the strategic functionality benefits the plane brings to the joint drive, the Air Power has introduced plans to deliver a brand new E-11A BACN squadron to Robins Air Power Base, Georgia.

“The Air Power and U.S. Congress have acknowledged what the E-11A platform brings to the battle,” Arthur mentioned. “In consequence, we’re standing up a brand new squadron of E-11s at Robins AFB in February of 2023.”

As the one E-11A BACN squadron, the 430th EECS will play a key position in serving to the Air Power set up a extra conventional mannequin with one dwelling station squadron and a deployed squadron.

In line with Arthur, the 430th EECS is a singular crew with a singular mission set, and he famous that it has been a really rewarding expertise to steer this squadron.

“Having the privilege and honor of commanding a number of the finest pilots America has to supply is the chance of a lifetime and one that can by no means be forgotten,” Arthur mentioned.