Northrop Grumman Awarded U.S. Army Contract to Relocate Hunter Training and Test
Facilities
HERNDON, Va., Oct. 26, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Army Unmanned Aircraft
System (UAS) office has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) a $6.2
million contract to move the Army's Hunter UAS training and engineering test
facilities from Cochise College Flight Line, Douglas, Ariz., to the new Rapid
Integration and Acceptance Center (RIAC), Michael Army Airfield, Dugway Proving
Grounds, Utah.
"We're happy to work shoulder to shoulder with the Army to make this move
happen," said Karl Purdy, Northrop Grumman Technical Services program manager.
"The move allows the Army to achieve synergy by having UAS assets in one
location to improve interoperability and efficiency of assets."
The MQ-5B Hunter, which is currently deployed in contingency operations,
provides warfighters with state-of-the-art Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and
Target Acquisition (RSTA), communications relay, signal intelligence, and
weapons delivery. Hunter has nearly 82,000 flight hours, 56,000 of which are
combat-related.
The RQ-5A Hunter was the Army's first fielded UAS. The MQ-5B is the
next-generation Hunter, continuing a legacy of service to Army corps, division
and brigade warfighters. Flying over the battlefield with its multi-mission
optronic payload, the MQ-5B gathers RSTA information in real time and relays it
via video link to commanders on the ground to dramatically reduce
sensor-to-shooter time.
The MQ-5B Hunter is distinguished by its heavy fuel engines, its "wet"
(fuel-carrying) extended center wing with weapons-capable hard points and a
modern avionics suite. The UAS uses the Army's One System ground control station
and remote video terminal. It also carries a communications relay package to
extend the radio range of warfighters. The MQ-5B features a robust, fixed-wing,
twin tail-boom design with redundant control systems powered by two heavy fuel
engines.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000
employees provide innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace,
electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to
government and commercial customers worldwide.
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CONTACT: Leah Smith
Northrop Grumman Technical Services
(703) 713-4616
leah.smith@ngc.com
Jeff Lacap
Northrop Grumman Technical Services
(703) 713-4488
jeff.lacap@ngc.com
