Top Secret Comms: A Guide To The USAF’s E-11A Strategic ‘Wi-Fi In The Sky’

Intelligence, communication, and information gathering are the most important capabilities of any air force. One of the great enablers of the Air Forces (that normally flies under the proverbial radar) is the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN). The BACN is an airborne communications relay and gateway system carried byBombardierE-11A and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft. It enables communication between otherwise incompatible communications systems and extends the range of communication while enabling interoperability. In 2020, one of the rare E-11A aircraft crashed over Afghanistan; unfortunately, the crew perished in the event.