On March 13 the 451st Tactical Airborne Gateway, the unit operating the Northrop Grumman E-11A and unmanned EQ-4B Global Hawks at Kandahar in Afghanistan, was redesignated the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron (430th EECS) under the command of Lt Col Robert Finch. The aircraft carry the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) - which facilitates connectivity between incompatible datalinks and other communications - and orbit over the battlespace, acting as a relay station between various assets and units. They are manned by US Air Force crews while maintenance is provided by contractors from Northrop Grumman.
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