PALMDALE, Calif., March 16 (UPI) -- Northrop Grumman received a $287 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for the next production run of its Global Hawk unmanned aerial system.
The pact covers Lot 5 of the RQ-4 Global Hawk, which has been used for reconnaissance patrols in Iraq and Afghanistan since last year, and includes aircraft in both Block 30 and 40 configurations.
"In 2006, it flew more than 3,300 combat hours, taking over 50,000 images directly supporting our deployed forces in support of the global war on terrorism," said Randy Brown, the Global Hawk systems director with the 303rd Aeronautical Systems Group.
The aircraft will be delivered starting early next year and continuing into 2009.
Unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, such as the Global Hawk have played an increasing role in U.S. military operations in southwest Asia, providing continuous monitoring of activities on the ground for signs of insurgents on the move. The Global Hawk's specs include the ability to operate at night and in bad weather. It also has the ability to operate undetected at very high altitudes.
The contract announced Friday by Northrop Grumman includes five UAVs. One of the aircraft will be a Lot 40 design, which will be capable of carrying the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program payload. The other four will be from Lot 30, which can carry signals intelligence sensors and enhanced integrated sensor suites (EISS). The contract also includes a mission control element and launch and recovery equipment.
Northrop said in its news release that the fuselages would be assembled in Mississippi and shipped to its plant in Palmdale for final assembly.
