Northrop Grumman begins construction on unmanned aircraft for NATO

By Christina Steube, The Sun Herald

Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems began construction Tuesday on its first of five NATO Alliance Ground System Global Hawk aircraft.

This unmanned aircraft, enhanced to meet NATOoperational requirements, will feature multi-platform radar technology for airborne ground surveillance and will fly at altitudes up to 60,000 feet for more than 30 hours.

“This is truly about saving the lives of our war fighters here today,” Gov. Phil Bryant said. “Mississippi excels at advanced manufacturing, and the sophisticated aircraft that will be built at Northrop Grumman’s Moss Pointfacility are a testament to the quality of the area’s workforce.”

Bryant added that not only are these new aircraft creating jobs and saving lives, but they are also the way of the future.

“I’m going to make sure that we continue to move forward in manufacturing unmanned vehicles,” he said.

Jackson County Economic Development Foundation executive director George Freeland agreed.

“The future has begun right here in Moss Point, Mississippi,” Freeland said.

Jim Culmo, vice-president of high altitude long endurance enterprise for NGC, said the five unmanned aircraft will be completed by 2017, per the NATO contract.

“NATO is the most successful alliance in the world and we’re glad to be a part of it,” Culmo said.

The celebration was marked by the signing of the aircraft’s bulkhead by Bryant, Culmo, Lt. Col. Giancarlo Filippo, Italian delegation to NATO, and Jim Edge, general manager of NATO AGS.

Northrop Grumman has 70 employees working on this project as well as a similar project for the U.S. Navy, where 68 Triton unmanned aircraft will be produced over the next decade.