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The Northrop Grumman-built platform has been delivered to NATO ground forces.
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NATO’s Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) RQ-4D Phoenix Global Hawk has achieved a new milestone following the NATO AGS Management Agency (NAGSMA)’s full system handover to the NATO AGS Force (NAGSF) at the Main Operating Base, Sigonella, Sicily.
The handover is comprised of five aircraft, ground and support segments, and advanced sensor technologies.
The RQ-4D Phoenix high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) system is expected to provide joint intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data to NATO.
The fixed, mobile and transportable ground stations in the system is tipped to support a range of missions, including:
- protection of ground troops and civilian populations;
- border control;
- crisis management; and
- humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
“This full system handover is an important milestone for the NATO AGS community, government and industry,” Jane Bishop, vice-president and general manager, global surveillance, Northrop Grumman, said.
“The NATO AGS system is a force multiplier supporting the Alliance mission of deterring threats and protecting security across NATO member countries.”
This latest milestone builds on Northrop Grumman’s five-year, multimillion-dollar contract from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for the delivery of sustainment services to the NAGSF.
The contract includes maintenance and life cycle sustainment of NATO’s fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles, air vehicle mission command and control stations, and trainers.
Northrop is set to undertake repairs, onsite maintenance and operations support to NAGSF at Sigonella Air Base in Italy.
The RQ-4D Phoenix Global Hawk handover also follows the company’s recent partnership with US-based telecommunications company AT&T to research and develop a digital battle network for the US Department of Defense.
The capability is expected to leverage AT&T 5G and Northrop Grumman’s advanced mission systems.
Specifically, the companies have committed to delivering a cost-effective, scalable, open architecture solution designed to enable DoD to connect distributed sensors, shooters and data from all domains, terrains and forces
The network is tipped to integrate high speeds, low latency and cyber security protections of private 5G networks, while also supporting Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2).
The agreement involves the establishment of a joint research and development framework to prototype, demonstrate and test AT&T’s commercial 5G networking capabilities integrated with Northrop Grumman systems.
[Related: Northrop Grumman, AT&T partner to develop 5G battle network ]
