14 DAY TRIAL // Officials with Northrop Grumman announced on December 3 that the company's Moss Point, Mississippi-based Unmanned Systems Center (USC) has begun production of the first Global Hawk unmanned aerial system (UAS) for NATO.
The NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) Block 40 Global Hawk aircraft has different specifications and operational requirements than what the United States Air Force (USAF) wants, which is why building the drone for the international organization is a bit more complex.
Five aircraft have been ordered at this point. Their role will be to provide their operators with maritime and terrestrial situational awareness information almost in real-time, to be used for peacekeeping missions, relief operations in areas affected by natural disaster, and for other applications.
At the same time, NATO wants to boost its existing joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability by adding the AGS system. “The variety of sensors and ability to support a wide range of missions will revolutionize how NATO collects ISR” explains the General Manager of the NATO AGS Management Agency, Jim Edge.