By Kalwinder KaurSep 7 2012
Northrop Grumman is exhibiting at the ILA Berlin Air Show to showcase its high-efficiency intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities with the international derivatives of the RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) called the ‘EURO HAWK’ and ‘NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance’ (AGS) platforms. In addition, the company will also demonstrate its aircraft navigation and stabilisation sensor technology.
The air show is scheduled from Sept. 11 to 16 at the Berlin ExpoCentre Airport which will accommodate over 1,100 exhibitors from 40 countries.
- EURO HAWK is the first HALE signals intelligence (SIGINT) UAS that uses Northrop’s RQ-4 Global Hawk designed for the German Bundeswehr and successfully landed at Manching in July 2011. It is now set for SIGINT payload flight testing.
The EURO HAWK includes a new SIGINT mission system created by EADS Deutschland that is integrated in Manching and works via Cassidian of EADS.
The large wingspan of EURO HAWK has an extended endurance of 30 h having highest altitude of over 60,000 ft. It is modular, affordable and interoperable and effectively substitutes the fleet of manned Breguet Atlantic aircraft that was recently retired in 2010.
- Northrop Grumman also serves as the prime contractor for the NATO AGS system. It will deliver as well as maintain five Block 40 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft integrated to an advanced ground surveillance radar sensor, Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Programme (MP-RTIP) that can identify and monitor moving objects in addition to generating radar imagery of stationary objects and target locations.
Northrop Grumman directs an industry team of European defence companies that characterize 13 participating NATO nations for establishing an airborne ground surveillance core capability that can meet NATO requirements in addition to regulating national investments. European industry will develop the ground element of the programme.
The NATO-owned and -operated AGS system will support a broad series of security and enforcement missions. The company entered $1.7 B contract for the NATO AGS system during 2012 May.
Also, Northrop Grumman LITEF will take part at the air show.
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