NATO AGS

The NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) program, supported by the U.S. Air Force, aims to enhance airborne ground surveillance capabilities for NATO. This initiative provides continuous, wide-area surveillance under all weather conditions, offering near real-time information and situational awareness to NATO decision-makers. The primary goal is to support mission planning and execution, including force protection and targeting, by providing data on friendly, neutral, and opposing ground and maritime forces. The program ensures that all NATO nations have access to AGS data, facilitating burden-sharing in processing and exploiting Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) information.

The AGS program comprises both air and ground segments. The air segment includes five air vehicles based on the U.S. Air Force Global Hawk airframe with unique exportable configurations. These incorporate the Navy Triton command and control architecture and the U.S. Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) radar. A significant objective is integrating a new Maritime Moving Target and Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar capability into the MP-RTIP radar for NATO AGS.

The ground segment features fixed site and transportable/mobile ground stations responsible for air vehicle Command and Control (C2), data exploitation, and distribution. Technical support for NATO AGS focuses on engineering and logistics assistance for deferred capabilities and obsolescence studies. This includes ongoing studies, analysis, and support related to mission security and exportability.

Additionally, the program supports NATO AGS participation in NATO's UNIFIED VISION series exercises. These efforts are crucial for maintaining the system's operational effectiveness and ensuring its alignment with evolving security requirements.

The acquisition strategy for the AGS system was executed through a fixed-price direct commercial sale contract with Northrop Grumman Integrated System Sector International (NGISSII), finalized in May 2012. As of December 2023, the NATO acquisition program office has been closed out and liquidated. The program continues to focus on operational system development efforts to upgrade fielded systems or those approved for full-rate production, anticipating further production funding in upcoming fiscal years.