Northrop Grumman awarded MQ-5B Hunter support contract
Northrop Grumman has announced that it has been awarded two contract by the US Army for logistics support of the MQ-5B Hunter programme. According to the company, they include work on the cost-plus-fixed-fee interoperability engineering change proposal and the tactical common data link (TCDL) RESET programmes.
The work will bring Hunter aircraft enhanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and communications relay capabilities.
According to Northrop Grumman, the TCDL RESET contract will see the company reset the current C-Band Hunter MQ-5B systems with TCDL technology to include resetting Hunter air vehicles, ground stations and data terminals with TCDL technology. Additionally, the TCDL also serves as a foundation of establishing interoperability among different US Department of Defense air vehicles and ground stations. This also allows for manned aircraft to use unmanned aircraft, their sensors and weapons as an extension of their own capabilities keeping aviators out of harm's way.
Currently deployed by the US Army in support of contingency operations in Southwest Asia, the MQ-5B Hunter provides warfighters with state-of-the-art intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, communications relay, and signal intelligence. Hunter has accumulated more than 100,000 flight hours, approximately 80 percent of which are combat related.
Both contracts have a 12 month period of performance.
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