The 461st Air Control Wing is a joint Air Force/Army unit flying the E-8 J-STARS aircraft. The wing is assigned to Air Combat Command's Fifteenth Air Force, and is stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It was activated on 1 October 2011.
E-8C Joint STARS 96-42
Image: 461st Air Control Wing
461st Bombardment Wing B-57 Canberra
B-52 Stratofortresses on a mission in Southeast Asia
Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint STARS
The Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System 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.
Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint STARS
Northrop Grumman E-8A Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System. The radome for the side-looking radar is visible under the forward fuselage.
Pave Mover Radar, the prototype for the JSTARS radar
Crew members uploading software onto an E-8 during preparations for a flight
