Northrop Grumman, US Air Force BACN honored as top defense program

The Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) have selected the Northrop Grumman Corporation-built Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) Joint Urgent Operational Need (JUON) program to receive one of the Top 5 DoD Program Awards given annually for excellence in systems engineering.

Northrop Grumman developed BACN, a forward-deployed airborne communications relay and network-centric enterprise information server, beginning in 2005. The US Air Force awarded the follow-on BACN JUON contract in June 2009 to provide enhanced communications capabilities urgently needed by warfighters.

In recognizing BACN JUON as a Top 5 program, the DoD and NDIA cited it as a highly successful program and an outstanding example of systems engineering best practices. The award also recognized the significant collaborative achievement of the Northrop Grumman and Air Force Electronic Systems Center team.

"BACN is a true example of government and industry teamwork. It exemplifies our mission focus to deliver needed capability to our fighting men and women," said Linda Mills, corporate vice president and president for Northrop Grumman's Information Systems sector.

Claude Hashem, vice president and deputy general manager of the Network Communication Systems business unit of Northrop Grumman Information Systems and Mel Townsend, chief engineer for the Aerial Networking Division with the Air Force Electronic Systems Center, accepted the award at NDIA's 13th Annual Systems Engineering Conference in San Diego.

Hashem said the winning BACN JUON approach to systems engineering emphasized agility, requiring a flexible, evolving engineering methodology to meet the quick-reaction timetable and urgent need.

Northrop Grumman developed BACN for the Air Force Materiel Command's Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., under a Defense Microelectronics Activity contract.

BACN also has been honored this year with the Weapon Systems Award from the Order of Daedalians, a national fraternity of military pilots, and the 2010 Network Centric Warfare Award for Outstanding Achievement from a Defense Industry Partner, from the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement.

Source: Northrop Grumman

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