Northrop Grumman says it is to establish a presence near Canada's London International Airport in Ontario as part of a collaboration deal.

The facility will be near that of Diamond Aircraft Industries Inc. in London, Ontario, with whom it has signed a collaborative agreement to deliver new intelligence-gathering aircraft capabilities.

"Diamond Aircraft has a long history of superior design and manufacturing processes for propeller-driven general aviation aircraft," said George Vardoulakis, vice president, medium range tactical systems, Northrop Grumman. "Combined with Northrop Grumman's leadership in manned and unmanned systems, we can pool our expertise to explore new opportunities for our customers worldwide."

Diamond Aircraft Industries develops and manufactures advanced-technology all-composite personal and flight training general aviation aircraft.

But in announcing the collaboration agreement and planned facility, specifics on the collaborative effort were not disclosed.

"Collaborating with Northrop Grumman is a great opportunity to bring high-value work to Southern Ontario and to develop new Canadian products for domestic and international markets," said Peter Maurer, president and chief executive officer of Diamond Industries Inc. "We're very excited to move forward in this long-term relationship."