U.S Air Force Awards Northrop Grumman $71m Contract for Global Hawk UAS

By Caroline Rees / 10 Apr 2013

Smart Sourcing for Unmanned Systems

Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Follow UST

U.S Air Force Global Hawk Unmanned Aircraft

Northrop Grumman recently received an undefinitized contract award valued at more than $71 million for its Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system from the U.S. Air Force. Issued by the Global Hawk Systems Program Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, the award is an add-on to a previous Lot 10 contract for block load and production acceptance infrastructure.

“This contract modification covers a 22-month period of performance from March 2013 through the end of December 2014, bridging the current Lot 10 contract through completion. It will provide engineering support for the production and final acceptance testing of the Lot 10 aircraft and sensors,” said George Guerra , vice president of the Global Hawk program for Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector. “This contract will enable us to continue to provide our troops with Global Hawk’s unmatched intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities for both domestic and international missions.”

The scope of the contract includes support for program management, engineering and flight operations necessary to complete Lot 10 aircraft and sensor deliveries, which will include two Block 30 systems (air vehicles with enhanced integrated sensor suite and Airborne Signals Intelligence Payload, or ASIP, sensors), two Block 40 systems (air vehicles with Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program, or MP-RTIP, sensors), and three ASIP retrofits (sensors installed and flight tested in aircraft purchased in previous lots). Lot 10 deliveries are scheduled for completion by the end of 2014.

The Global Hawk program received the coveted Dr. James G. Roche Sustainment Excellence Award in 2012 for demonstrating the most improved performance in aircraft maintenance and logistics readiness. In fiscal year 2012, Global Hawk operated at a mission-capable rate of nearly 78 percent, exceeding the U.S. Air Force’s requirements for 19 consecutive months.

Accumulating nearly 90,000 total flight hours in support of missions throughout the world, Global Hawk can fly for more than 30 hours at an altitude over 60,000 feet. The aircraft provides decision-makers with near-real-time ISR and warfighters with unmatched communications relay capabilities.

Posted by Caroline Rees Caroline co-founded Unmanned Systems Technology and has been at the forefront of the business ever since. With a Masters Degree in marketing Caroline has her finger on the pulse of all things unmanned and is committed to showcasing the very latest in unmanned technical innovation. Connect & Contact

Latest Articles

Exploring Differences Between M9PLUS & M9 GNSS Antennas

Discover the key upgrades in Maxtena’s new M9PLUS GNSS antenna, including improved performance, signal purity, and multipath mitigation over the original M9

Jul 11, 2025
USAF Uses Inertial Labs Drone Lidar for Tree Obstruction Survey

The US Air Force successfully used Inertial Labs drone Lidar and cloud software to quickly map tree obstructions at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), improving airfield safety

Jul 11, 2025
UAVOS’ Rotor Blades Complete Advanced Overload & Environmental Testing

UAVOS, in partnership with ALTER, conducted overload and environmental testing on helicopter rotor blades, displaying blade reliability, structural integrity and safety

Jul 11, 2025
Robosys’ Voyager AI Autonomy Suite Integrated Onboard New USV

Robosys Automation’s Voyager AI Autonomy Suite has been integrated onboard Uncrewed Survey Solutions' new USS Accession USV, enhancing autonomous marine operations for survey and monitoring

Jul 10, 2025
Textron USV Demonstrates MUM-T Capability in FLEX25 Exercise

Textron Systems demonstrated its TSUNAMIâ„¢ USV during FLEX25 in El Salvador, supporting SOUTHCOM and regional partners in counter-narcotics operations

Jul 10, 2025
OceanAlpha’s L25 USV Showcases Successful Autonomous Marine Survey Capabilities

OceanAlpha’s L25 USV has demonstrated innovative autonomous survey operations during the vessel's first Malaysian public display at Port Klang, June 2025

Jul 10, 2025

Featured Content

New UAV to Combine Solar Hydrogen & Battery Power for Extended Flight

XSun and H3 Dynamics are developing the first UAV powered by solar, hydrogen, and batteries, aiming to deliver zero-emission, long-endurance unmanned flight

Jul 07, 2025
Enhancing Mangrove Restoration Through 3D Printed Drone Design

Explore how Inverto Earth, in collaboration with HP Additive, is using sustainable 3D printing and drone technology to drive large-scale mangrove restoration and protect vulnerable coastal ecosystems

Jul 03, 2025
Partnership Combines Drone Swarms & Situational Awareness to Boost Wildfire Response

Kongsberg Geospatial and FireSwarm Solutions have partnered to integrate autonomous drone swarms with real-time situational awareness for faster, smarter wildfire response

Jun 30, 2025
Advancing Unmanned Systems Through Strategic Collaboration UST works with major OEMs to foster collaboration and increase engagement with SMEs, to accelerate innovation and drive unmanned systems capabilities forward.