The U.S. Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman two contract modifications totaling $156 million to continue operating and maintaining the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) system in support of overseas contingency missions.

Northrop Grumman was awarded a $106 million contract modification to extend the deployment and operation of BACN payloads installed in three E-11A Bombardier Global Express BD-700 aircraft and three EQ-4B Block 20 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles. The award supports operations through June 2013.

The company was also awarded a $50 million contract modification for platform maintenance support of three E-11A aircraft - numbers 9355, 9358 and 9001 - through February 2013.

BACN is a high-altitude, airborne communications and information gateway system that provides situational awareness and command and control coordination between warfighters and commanders. With a suite of computers and radio systems, BACN bridges and extends voice communications and battlespace information from numerous sources.

"BACN is making a tremendous difference for our warfighters. These awards are evidence of that invaluable support and the exceptional performance of the BACN program office," said Claude Hashem, vice president of network communications systems for Northrop Grumman Information Systems.

BACN was first deployed to support Operation Enduring Freedom in 2008.

Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for the EQ-4B Global Hawk aircraft and the development, fielding and maintenance of the BACN system. The company was awarded the first BACN contract in April 2005 by the Air Force Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.