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.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.