Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      An E-3 Sentry (AWACS), with an upgraded Flight Management System Suite, takes off for a test flight in Kent, Wash., April 20, 2016. The upgrades, being managed by a program office at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., eliminate diminishing manufacturing source issues, ensure compliance with current and future air traffic control requirements, and automate the navigation function, allowing for a reduction in cockpit crew from four to three. (Photo courtesy of Boeing)Flying with DRAGON improves capabilities
                        
                        
                        An E-3 Sentry (AWACS), with an upgraded Flight Management System Suite, takes off for a test flight in Kent, Wash., April 20, 2016. The upgrades, being managed by a program office at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., eliminate diminishing manufacturing source issues, ensure compliance with current and future air traffic control requirements, and automate the navigation function, allowing for a reduction in cockpit crew from four to three. (Photo courtesy of Boeing)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Flying with DRAGON improves capabilitiesPublished May 17, 2016
                    
                    By Patty Welsh
                    
                    
                    66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
            **HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (AFNS)  --**A recent successful test flight of an upgraded Flight Management System Suite for the E-3 Sentry (AWACS) provides the warfighter with enhanced battle management capabilities.AWACS aircraft provide an integrated command and control battle management, surveillance, target detection, and tracking platform. The aircraft provides an accurate, real-time picture of the battlespace to the Joint Air Operations Center.The upgrade provides three principal benefits to the warfighter. It ensures compliance with current and future air traffic control requirements, giving the aircraft broader access to conduct battle management operations in airspace around the world. It resolves non-sustainable analog equipment with commercially viable digital avionics, replacing 1970s-era systems; and it also reduces cockpit crew personnel from four to three by automating the navigation function."The cockpit upgrade will make the AWACS fleet operationally ready for worldwide deployments, meeting all the new air traffic management mandates for the ever-increasingly congested international airspace -- while reducing the logistical footprint and increasing cost savings," said Collin Manzo, the engineering and manufacturing development program manager.The test flight took place on April 20 at Boeing Field in Kent, Washington, as part of the Air Force's CNS/ATM DRAGON, program, which stands for Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management Diminishing Manufacturing Sources Replacement of Avionics for Global Operations and Navigation. Officials have said the benefits springboard the AWACS platform into the future while reducing overall system maintenance and sustainability costs."The modernized flight deck is more user-intuitive, with full-color glass displays that enable customizable engine, navigation and radar information," said Gwen LaMuro, the DRAGON program manager. "This enhanced avionics system suite utilizes commercial, off-the-shelf equipment which eliminates diminishing manufacturing source issues, provides a commercially available replacement solution and reduces sustainability risk to the AWACS platform."The program now enters the flight test qualification phase to prove out any unique Air Force requirements. Following that, program managers anticipate delivery of modified D1 aircraft to the 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, in May 2017. There, the aircraft will undergo government operation test and evaluation and then production modification for the rest of the fleet, to be accomplished by the depot staff at Tinker AFB beginning in 2018.The CNS/ATM DRAGON program is a cooperative program between the U.S. and NATO. NATO's first aircraft, known as N1, completed testing in April and is nearing completion of the full EMD phase."This program is a great example of international cooperation benefiting both partners, as the U.S. and NATO AWACS fleets are about 95 percent common in design," LaMuro said. "We have incorporated the efficiencies and learned lessons from the NATO N1 aircraft in the U.S. Air Force aircraft design, reducing the overall shared costs by tens of millions of dollars for both stakeholders. This truly culminates a successful relationship between NATO and the U.S. and these modifications ensure the critical capability AWACS provides to our warfighters and allies around the world."AWAC 



upgrade 



Hanscom AFB 



DRAGON Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                Kendall, Allvin, Saltzman urge modernization while warning Senate of delayed budgets
                    
                    Readout of Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall’s travel to the Philippines
                    
                    Air Force senior leaders visit Eielson AFB
                    
                    Air Force leaders focus on ACE during Kadena AB visit
                    
                    USAF senior leaders visit Mariana Islands on ACE tripInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Cope Tiger concludes in Thailand
                    
                    Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil