Aircraft

Aircraft of Science and Security

Some of the most consequential aircraft never carry a passenger. Three examples, described entirely from the public record.

NASA WB-57: research at the edge of space

From NASA's Earth Science Project Office. Operator: NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, with three aircraft based at Ellington Field. Altitude: in excess of 63,000 feet, payload dependent. Duration: approximately 6.5 hours. Range: approximately 2,500 nautical miles. Payload: up to 8,800 pounds. Crew: pilot and sensor equipment operator in tandem stations.

The WB-57 descends from the Martin B-57, the American license-built version of the British English Electric Canberra bomber. NASA's WB-57s have flown research missions since the early 1970s. Flying far above commercial traffic, they carry interchangeable payloads for atmospheric science, astronomy, and testing for government partners. Few aircraft in the world can carry so large a payload so high for so long.

E-11A BACN: the airborne translator

The E-11A is a Bombardier Global Express business jet modified to carry the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN), developed by Northrop Grumman. BACN is a high-altitude communications relay that translates and distributes voice, imagery, and data among communications systems that otherwise cannot talk to one another, extending the reach of command and control for aircraft and ground forces.

According to Airforce Technology, BACN was first deployed with the U.S. Air Force in 2008, has been carried by E-11A aircraft and by EQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned aircraft, and has been operated by the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Communications Squadron. The system became a fixture of operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Bat UAS: small unmanned aircraft

Northrop Grumman announced its Bat line of small unmanned aircraft systems in April 2009. The line was formerly known as KillerBee, acquired from Swift Engineering. The Bat family was described with wingspans ranging from 6.5 to 33.2 feet and payloads for real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and communications relay. Northrop Grumman later prepared the system for demonstration to U.S. Special Operations Command.

Why these aircraft matter to international affairs

Each illustrates a different link between aviation and statecraft. The WB-57 supports international scientific cooperation. BACN made coalition operations possible by connecting partners' incompatible systems. Small unmanned aircraft raise new questions of export control, airspace integration, and the law of armed conflict that diplomats and regulators are still working through.