Northrop Grumman formally opened its new Unmanned Systems Center production facility in Moss Point, Miss., on Tuesday, with CEO Ron Sugar presiding over the opening ceremony. Sugar pronounced the new center a dedicated unmanned systems production facility with significant expansion potential—in a “cost-effective location.” The $13 million, 101,000 square-foot facility will be used to produce the Army’s MQ-8B Fire Scout and portions of the Air Force’s RQ-4B Global Hawk high-altitude ISR unmanned aerial vehicle.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
