Northrop Grumman announced Tuesday that it has submitted its proposal for the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance system. Northrop leads the transatlantic industry team chosen by NATO to supply the system. The contract award is anticipated in October. Matt Copija, Northrop’s AGS program director, said the system will be “a critical component of the NATO Response Force,” giving alliance members “continuous ground situational awareness” so that they may “minimize the need to put forces in harm’s way without foreknowledge.” AGS features Northrop’s RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40 aircraft equipped with the MP-RTIP radar, mobile and transportable ground stations, and a mission operation support center located at NATO’s main Global Hawk operating base in Sigonella, Italy. (For background, see Update on NATO AGS from the Daily Report archive.)
The U.K. and the U.S. will continue to enjoy access to the ports, airfield, and workshops at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for at least another century, under a deal inked between the U.K. and Mauritius May 22.