Current as of December 1, 2025
MISSION
Battlefield airborne communications node (BACN) is a communications relay and gateway system that provides military commanders with a versatile means of exchanging information from multiple air, ground, and maritime sources, to include host nation, joint, and coalition forces. It increases tactical situational awareness and communication abilities from the forward edge of the battlefield to operational decision makers in operations centers. BACN provides Combatant Commanders (CCDRs) a forward located, high-flying, long-loiter dedicated communication node capable of interoperable information in permissive environments. The functionality provided by BACN reduces communication issues associated with incompatible systems, adverse terrain, and distance (Line of Sight (LOS)/Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS)).
BACKGROUND
The original BACN prototype was developed on the NASA WB-57 high-altitude test aircraft and tested during a Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment. That successful test led to the deployment of the first E-11A (a/c 9001) in December 2008. In May 2009, the Secretary of Defense signed the Joint Urgent Operational Need (JUON) statement for BACN operations in the CENTCOM AOR. In August 2011, BACN transitioned from a JUON to an Enduring Capability. As of FY19, BACN became a Program of Record (POR) in the Continental United States (CONUS) under Air Combat Command (ACC) as a Service Retained Capability (SRC) with baseline and Overseas Contingency funding through the Future Years Defense Plan.