Will Provide Comm, Network Systems

Aero-News has learned Boeing will provide worldwide unmanned aerial systems (UAS) communications and network systems expertise to the US Air Force under a five-year $14 million contract. Boeing also will work with the Air Force to develop current and future UAS operations plans for allied missions.

The contract includes worldwide platform basing; developing crew training requirements; coordinating communications architecture; establishing national and international airspace access policies; coordinating logistic and sustainment development efforts; and ensuring imagery datasets are interoperable and compatible across systems.

"Boeing has unprecedented experience in high-altitude unmanned aerial systems," said Brian Knutsen, general manager of Boeing Mission Systems, a unit of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "Boeing has worked closely with the Air Force for more than 10 years, from the inception of the Global Hawk unmanned system to its operational status in the global war on terror. With knowledge and experience from combat and peacetime operations, requirements, training, logistics, network and sensors, and forward basing, we will continue to help the Air Force address our national security needs."

Boeing currently supports day-to-day operations for Global Hawk UAS at the Air Force's Air Combat Command headquarters in Langley, VA.

FMI: www.boeing.com, www.af.mil