As an ISR platform, EMARSS provides persistent capabilities for detection, location, classification/identification, and to track surface targets in day/night, near-all-weather conditions with a high degree of timeliness and accuracy.[2] The system consists of a military purposed Super King Air 350ER aircraft equipped with an electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, full-motion video cameras, an imaging sensor called Wide Area Surveillance System, communications intelligence (COMINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection sensors, a precision geolocation sensor, line-of-sight (LOS) tactical and Ka/Ku-bandbeyond line-of-sight (BLOS) communications suites including datalinks, two DCGS-A workstations nicknamed Big Iron,[3] and a self-protection suite.[4][5] The original EMARSS aircraft would eventually be called EMARSS-S to distinguish it from other variants.
The system includes an integrated Northrop Grumman AN/ZPY-5 Vehicle and Dismounted Exploitation Radar (VADER) active electronically scanned array (AESA) synthetic-aperture radar pod with Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) or with Dismount Moving Target Indicator (DMTI) developed in an Air Force-led project in 2009.[2][3] The 400-pound (180kg) pod had the distinct advantage over earlier GMTI radars in that it could identify multiple targets over a wide field of view.[3] DMTI specifically refers to the ability to identify human-sized targets moving as slow as walking speed (in combination with other sensors), as opposed to GMTI which usually refers to larger sizes and greater speeds.[6]
History
In 2010, Boeing was awarded a contract by the US Army to build the first four EMARSS aircraft. But by 2012, budgetary concerns by the Government Accountability Office put the project on hold,[3] resulting in the Army canceling the project entirely for a savings of US$1.2 billion (about $1.64 in 2024). The four planes delivered up to that point were to be handed off to the US Air Force, but that did not happen.[4]
The first EMARSS prototype made its maiden flight in June 2013.[citation needed] While EMARSS was due to already be in service, further programmatic protests and inter-service differences over ownership delayed its introduction.
Low rate initial production (LRIP) was finally approved in August 2014. The Army disclosed its initial plan to field 12 EMARSS (plus options for 20 more), although it was unclear precisely how many of these will be converted MC-12Ws and how many will be new-builds. Of the 42 MC-12W "Project Liberty" aircraft procured, Janes Information Services believed between 8 and 12 would eventually be brought up to the EMARSS-M variant standard. As originally set out, the 18-month MC-12W to EMARSS-M modification contract included a 12-month system design and integration phase followed by a 6-month airworthiness and operational acceptance testing period.
In March 2015, a 12-month prototype modification contract worth US$31.8 million was awarded to then L-3 Communications to upgrade a single MC-12W Liberty aircraft to an EMARSS-M (multi-intelligence) configuration for flight and operational acceptance testing. The project was expected to complete by September 2015.[7]
November 23, 2015, then L-3's Mission Integration division was awarded a contract worth US$129.66 million (equivalent to $172 million in 2024) to modify 13 aircraft with the EMARSS system.[7] The four year modification contract was expected to be completed by November 2019. Altogether designated as EMARSS-FVM (follow-on variant modifications), aircraft to be modified included the MC-12W designated as EMARSS-M, with Constant Hawk and Tactical Operations-Light Detection and Ranging (TACOP-LiDAR) aircraft to be designated EMARSS-G (geospatial intelligence]]). This contract was intended to bring these aircraft configurations up to the MC-12S EMARSScounter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) standard previously developed by Boeing.[7]
In October 2025, KeyAero reported all existing 24 EMARSS aircraft, operated by the 224th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation) from Hunter Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, were scheduled to be retired by the end of 2025.[8]
Variants
Originally called simply EMARSS, in its final form, a total of 24 aircraft were configured into four variants including:[1][8][2][5]
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Raytheon-Beech MC-12W "Liberty" 
