SAN DIEGO, April 9 (UPI) -- A $71 million award has been given Northrop Grumman by the U.S. Air Force for continued Block 10 production of Global Hawk unmanned aircraft systems.
The award was given as an undefinitized contract modification.
"This contract modification covers a 22-month period of performance from March 2013 through the end of December 2014, bridging the current Lot 10 contract through completion," said George Guerra, vice president of the Global Hawk program for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector. "It will provide engineering support for the production and final acceptance testing of the Lot 10 aircraft and sensors."
The award covers support for program management, engineering and flight operations necessary to complete Lot 10 aircraft and sensor deliveries. Those deliveries include two Block 30 systems -- air vehicles with enhanced integrated sensor suite and Airborne Signals Intelligence Payload sensors -- two Block 40 systems with Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program sensors, and three ASIP retrofits.
The Global Hawk UAS has a flight endurance of more than 30 hours, providing real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data and communications relay capability.
