Aircraft
Germany, UK Offer Alternatives to Global Hawk for NATO AGS
NATO’s plans to operate a fleet of five Global Hawks for ground surveillance have been called into question by the German decision to cancel the similar Euro Hawk. (Image: Northrop Grumman)
NATO’s plans to operate a fleet of five Global Hawks for ground surveillance have been called into question by the German decision to cancel the similar Euro Hawk. (Image: Northrop Grumman)

In the wake of the Euro Hawk cancellation in Germany, the future of the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system based on the similar Northrop Grumman Global Hawk UAV is in doubt. Germany intends to offer for AGS whatever alternative platform it decides to employ for the Cassidian integrated signals intelligence system (ISIS) that was the payload on the Euro Hawk. The Royal Air Force Raytheon Sentinel R.1 ground surveillance aircraft is also on offer. Under a $1.7 billion contract signed last year, 13 NATO countries are buying five Global Hawks for the AGS, which also comprises the MP-RTIP advanced radar sensor, eight ground stations and one main operating base. The other NATO countries are supposed to contribute to the operating costs of the system.