USAF officially retires first JSTARS

On 11 February 2022, the first out of sixteen operational US Air Force E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) was retired. Already layed out in the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), four USAF JSTARS aircraft will be divested off.

The plane in question, with serial number 92-3289/GA and named "Rattler, Don't tread on me", was actually the first E-8C to arrive at Robins AFB (GA) in 1996 and has now been flown to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB (AZ) to be stored.

The Northrop Grumman E-8C, also known as Joint STARS, is an airborne ground surveillance, battle management and command and control aircraft. It tracks ground vehicles and some aircraft, collects imagery, and relays tactical pictures to ground and air theater commanders.

The aircraft is operated by both active duty USAF and Air National Guard units and also carries specially trained US Army personnel as additional flight crew.

The E-8C is an aircraft modified from the Boeing 707-300 series commercial airliner. It is expected that the Georgia Air National Guard's 116th Air Control Wing/461st Air Control Wing (active duty) at Robins will dispose off three more JSTARS aircraft during 2022.

The above mentioned JSTARS is not the first to have been stored with the 309th AMARG. Northrop Grumman E-8C testbed, 90-0175/JS, has been lingering in the Arizona desert for more than seven years now.

Photos by USAF