NATO RQ-4D Phoenix Reaches New Milestone

The NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Force (NAGSF), with support from Northrop Grumman Corporation, marked a significant milestone recently in the System Level Performance Verification with the completion of a nine-hour training and test flight conducted for the first time under control of NAGSF trained pilots.

"Northrop Grumman is proud to support NAGSF pilots training as they control flights with number one NATO RQ-4D Phoenix," said Jane Bishop, vice president and general manager, autonomous systems, Northrop Grumman. "We remain committed in our relationship to NATO and the mission to protect and defend global security."

The NATO AGS RQ-4D aircraft is based on the U.S. Air Force wide area surveillance Global Hawk. It has been uniquely adapted to NATO requirements and will provide NATO state-of-the-art intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability.

This includes protecting ground troops, civilian populations and international borders in peacetime, times of conflict and for humanitarian missions during natural disasters.