With a wing span larger than a commercial airliner and endurance projected at up to 30 hours, the Euro Hawk will serve as the German Air Force‘s high-altitude, long-endurance signals intelligence (SIGINT) system. The Euro Hawk is a derivative of the Block 20 Global Hawk, and will be equipped with a new SIGINT mission system developed by EADS Defence & Security (DS). The SIGINT system provides standoff capability to detect electronic intelligence radar and communications intelligence emitters. EADS DS will also provide the ground stations that will receive and analyze the data from Euro Hawk as part of an integrated system solution.
Following successful testing and introduction in German operational service, Northrop Grumman anticipates subsequent systems will be delivered between 2016 and 2017. The Euro Hawk will replace the aging fleet of Breguet Atlantic aircraft, which have been in service since 1972. On Jan. 31, 2007, the German MoD awarded a $559 million contract to EuroHawk GmbH, a 50-50 joint venture company formed by Northrop Grumman and EADS, for the development, test and support of the Euro Hawk unmanned SIGINT surveillance and reconnaissance system. Under the contract, EuroHawk GmbH will also provide aircraft modifications, mission control, and launch and recovery ground segments, flight test, and logistics support. EuroHawk GmbH is the national prime contractor for the German MoD through the entire lifecycle of the Euro Hawk system. The limited liability company is based in Immenstaad, Germany.
