Expresses Disappointment With Pentagon Decision To Cancel The Program

Following the announcement Wednesday by the Pentagon that it was cancelling the Northorp Grumman Global Hawk Block 30 program as a cost-savings measure, the company released a statement expressing its disappointment with the move, and said it plans to work with the Pentagon to assess alternatives to program termination.

"The Global Hawk program has demonstrated its utility in U.S. military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, as well as its utility in humanitarian operations in Japan and Haiti," the statement says. "Just a few months ago, the Pentagon published an acquisition decision memorandum regarding Global Hawk Block 30 that stated: 'The continuation of the program is essential to the national security... there are no alternatives to the program which will provide acceptable capability to meet the joint military requirement at less cost.'"

NGC says that Global Hawk is the modern solution to providing surveillance, providing long duration persistent surveillance, and collects information using multiple sensors on the platform. In contrast, the aging U-2 program, which is to take on the role tasked to the Global Hawk Block 30, was first introduced in the 1950s. The company asserts that the move places pilots in danger, and the airplane has limited flight duration and provides limited sensor capacity. Extending the U-2's service life also represents additional investment requirements for that program.

"Northrop Grumman is committed to working with our customers to provide the best solutions for our country and our allies," the statement concludes. "We are pleased with the continuing support for the Global Hawk Block 40 system, as well as for the Navy's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance system and our other unmanned systems."

FMI: www.northropgrumman.com