NATO's AGS conducts test flight
NATO's first Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) UAS has successfully completed a range of test points during a flight from Palmdale, California, to Edwards Air Force Base, the company announced on 19 December.
The flight marks the beginning of the AGS programme’s flight test period.
The Global Hawk UAS derivative forms the aerial component of the NATO AGS. The UAS will perform all-weather, persistent wide-area terrestrial and maritime surveillance in support of NATO missions such as protection of ground troops and civilian populations, border control, maritime safety and humanitarian assistance.
The aircraft is equipped with the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) sensor. This sensor will allow the AGS to fuse sensor data, continuously detect and track moving objects and provide imagery of selected objects.
NATO AGS will be based in Sigonella, Italy. The first aircraft will arrive there in 2016.
The AGS system includes five aircraft and mobile ground stations. The ground stations will provide data link connectivity, data processing and exploitation capabilities to multiple deployed and non-deployed operational users.
The system is being procured by 15 NATO nations; following acquisition, NATO AGS will become a 28 alliance nation fully-owned and operated NATO capability.
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