Two contracts totaling nearly $300 million recently awarded to Northrop Grumman Corporation for Global Hawk will enhance the overall performance of the unmanned reconnaissance system.
The contracts, one for $247 million and the other for $52.8 million, awarded by the U.S. Air Force will increase weight and power in order to enhance Global Hawk’s surveillance capabilities. They will cover Stage IIA and Stage IIB engineering and manufacturing development.
Specific tasks under the contracts include improvements to the Global Hawk system’s integrated sensor suite, development of 25-kilovolt ampere generators, performance upgrades to increase the air vehicle’s gross take-off weight and improve constant altitude flight mode and flight test support.
Work will be performed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and at company facilities in Palmdale and San Diego, Calif. The Air Force program is managed by the Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
The Global Hawk system will provide battlefield commanders near real-time, high-resolution, reconnaissance imagery.
Flying at extremely high altitudes, Global Hawk can survey large geographic areas with pinpoint accuracy to give military decision-makers the most current information about enemy resources and personnel.
