Northrop Grumman said it is actively pursuing options to include Wide Area Surveillance (WAS) Multi-platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) radar on the U.S. Air Force’s E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) platform. The E-8C Joint STARS aircraft is a Northrop Grumman-modified Boeing 707-300 aircraft that detects, locates, classifies, tracks and targets hostile ground movements, communicating real-time information through secure data links. The WAS MP-RTIP sensor is a modular active electronically scanned array radar system that can be scaled in size for integration into the Joint STARS platform. “This is a fiscally sound and cost-effective move,” said Dave Nagy, Northrop Grumman vice president for Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) programs. “When coupled with ongoing upgrade programs, including improved communications, networking and new engines, the result will be a tremendously powerful ISR asset for the warfighter.”