AF expanding Global Hawk fleet

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a $354 million contract to expand its RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system fleet by three aircraft. The high-flying Global Hawk operates multiple sensors simultaneously to gather intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data. The newest aircraft will bring the Air Force RQ-4 fleet to 37 aircraft in 2017. All RQ-4 fuselages are built at Northrop Grumman's plant Moss Point, Miss., with final assembly and acceptance testing in Palmdale, Calif. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 09/15/14) The Moss Point plant also does finishing work on Northrop Grumman’s Fire Scout unmanned helicopter.