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DALLAS, AUG. 20, 2001 - Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. announced today that it has been selected by Northrop Grumman Corporation to manufacture the wing for the Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance system’s air vehicle. This Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract is for two wings with options for the next four aircraft on the current baseline schedule.
Global Hawk, under development for the U.S. Air Force, performs autonomous high-altitude, long-endurance surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The air vehicle’s range and over 30 hours of endurance permits worldwide operation of the system. High-resolution sensors, which can look through adverse weather day or night from an altitude of 65,000 feet, can conduct surveillance over an area the size of Illinois in just 24 hours.
"Global Hawk is a tremendous asset for our military, and we are proud to be a part of the Northrop Grumman team," said Tom Risley, Vought’s Chief Operating Officer. "This is a great win for our employees and a perfect fit for our core competencies."
Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. is the world’s largest independent supplier of aerostructures. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company provides wings, fuselage subassemblies, empennages, nacelles, thrust reversers and other components for prime manufacturers of aircraft. Vought has more than 5,000 employees and annual sales exceeding $1 billion. It has operations in Dallas; Hawthorne, Calif.; Stuart, Fla.; Milledgeville, Ga.; and Perry, Ga. |
