The US Air Force is planning to retire its fleet of E-11 Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft by 2028, replacing the capability with a space-enabled network, according to congressional testimony and budget documents.
The E-11 is modeled after the Bombardier Global business jet and carries the BACN payload, designed as a communications terminal often described as “Wi-Fi in the sky.”
It connects airborne platforms, ground forces, and special operations units by linking data across multiple radio systems.
‘Generational Shift’
The strategy reflects what officials describe as a “generational shift away from legacy systems” toward distributed air and space-based networks, with the new, integrated Department of the Air Force Battle Network serving as the core architecture for data relay and command and control.
A military spokesperson confirmed the move to Breaking Defense, adding that the fiscal 2027 budget eliminates funding for the program after about $296 million in total spending since the effort’s inception in 2005.
In the near term, the service will rely on a Hybrid SATCOM program to deploy a “bridge in capability,” delivering resilient connectivity across defense and commercial satellite networks using multiple orbits and frequency bands.
The service plans to integrate terminals under that effort on existing airframes such as the KC-135 Stratotanker and B-1 Lancer, with flight tests scheduled across nine aircraft types through 2028.
