Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NOC) Moss Point, Miss., Unmanned Systems Center started production of the primary NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) Block 40 Global Hawk aircraft, enhanced to fulfill NATO operational requirements.
NATO representatives, state dignitaries, community leaders and Northrop Grumman employees gathered to celebrate the beginning of production for the primary of 5 aircraft. The system will provide NATO with unprecedented near real-time terrestrial and maritime situational awareness information in the course of the full range of NATO military and civil-military missions, including peacekeeping and humanitarian relief operations. The NATO AGS system might be a main contribution to NATO’s joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability.
“The kind of sensors and talent to support a variety of missions will revolutionize how NATO collects ISR,” said Jim Edge, general manager, NATO AGS Management Agency. “It was an honor to witness the beginning of production for the primary NATO aircraft, and I’m excited at being one step toward delivering the AGS system.”
“Mississippi excels at advanced manufacturing, and the subtle aircraft that would be built at Northrop Grumman’s Moss Point facility are a testament to the standard of the area’s workforce,” Gov. Phil Bryant said. “Our state is usually building a robust presence within the aerospace industry, and this operation will definitely bolster our reputation.”
The NATO AGS system may be equipped with the multimode Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion (MP-RTIP) airborne ground surveillance radar sensor to supply all-weather, day or night intelligence to the NATO Alliance. The system also includes an in depth suite of network-centric enabled line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight long-range, wide-band data links.
“With the facility to fly as much as 60,000 feet and for greater than 30 hours, the NATO AGS system is uniquely suited for support NATO missions worldwide,” said Jim Culmo, vice chairman, High-Altitude, Long Endurance Enterprise, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.
The NATO AGS system also includes European-sourced ground assets with the intention to provide in-theater support to commanders of deployed forces. Mobile and conveyable ground stations will provide an interface between the AGS core system and a variety of interoperable NATO and national command, control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.
NATO is acquiring the system with 15 nations participating including Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and america.
The NATO Alliance Ground Management Agency awarded the prime contract for the system to Northrop Grumman in May 2012 in the course of the NATO Summit. The company’s primary industrial team includes EADS Deustchland GmbH (Cassidian), Selex ES and Kongsberg, in addition to leading defense companies from all participating nations.
The NATO AGS system is a variant of the combat-proven Global Hawk, which has logged greater than 100,000 flight hours and has supported operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. The system has also collected weather data in support of scientific missions and took part in humanitarian relief efforts after the devastating natural disasters in Haiti, Japan and the Philippines.
Northrop Grumman is a number one global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide.
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