Northrop Grumman Successfully Demonstrates Flexible Solution to Utilize Legacy and Future Sensors on RQ-4 Global Hawk
25 Février 2016 - 5:25PM
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) successfully flew a SYERS-2
intelligence gathering sensor on an RQ-4 Global Hawk high altitude
long endurance unmanned aircraft system (UAS), marking the first
time the legacy U.S. Air Force sensor has been demonstrated on a
high altitude unmanned aircraft.
With the success of the SYERS-2 flight, Northrop Grumman plans
to fly an Optical Bar Camera (OBC) sensor and an MS-177
multi-spectral sensor later in the year. Payload integration is not
new to Global Hawk. NASA has successfully integrated and flown over
30 different information-gathering payloads on Global Hawk.
Existing models of the U.S Air Force Global Hawk are capable of
carrying an Enhanced Integrated Sensor Suite (EISS), Airborne
Signals Intelligence Payload (ASIP) and Multi-Platform Radar
Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP). The addition of legacy and
future sensors is made possible by Northrop Grumman's innovative
Universal Payload Adapter (UPA), a bracket that mounts to an
existing Global Hawk airframe, allowing it to support a wide
variety of payloads.
"This SYERS-2 flight is only the beginning. We firmly believe
that with the addition of the UPA, Global Hawk is capable of
flying any mission the U.S. Air Force requires," said Mick Jaggers,
vice president and program manager, Global Hawk unmanned aircraft
system programs, Northrop Grumman. "Northrop Grumman is funding
this study in order to prove that the system can affordably carry
the same sensors as any other intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance [ISR] aircraft. We look forward to continuing to
work with our Air Force partners on this groundbreaking
solution."
Flight tests are taking place at Northrop Grumman's Palmdale,
Calif. facility in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force. Northrop
Grumman and the Air Force reached a Cooperative Research and
Development Agreement (CRADA) last year that allows the company to
test previously unavailable sensors on the Global Hawk.
Northrop Grumman's high altitude long endurance UAS series have
exceeded more than 160,000 total flight hours. The system's cost
per flight hour has fallen to half that of the manned
competitor.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing
innovative systems, products and solutions in autonomous systems,
cyber, C4ISR, strike, and logistics and modernization to government
and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit
www.northropgrumman.com for more information.
CONTACT: Elizabeth McCann
858-618-2214 (office)
858-432-8822 (mobile)
elizabeth.mccann@ngc.com
Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC)
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