Raytheon has been awarded a subcontract to provide contractor logistics support to the ground station elements for the U.S. Air Force's fleet of RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Raytheon continues to support the Global Hawk mission, building on its 99.8 percent ground station availability to support the warfighters.

"As the original developer and producer of the Global Hawk ground station, Raytheon is providing affordable sustainment solutions that drive down cost while providing continued mission success of the Global Hawk system," said Bob Busey, Raytheon's Global Hawk Ground Segment program manager for the company's Intelligence, Information and Services business. "Additionally, our recognition with Northrop Grumman's Platinum subcontractor rating reflects Raytheon's commitment to deliver exceptional performance in support of the Air Force and the warfighter."

Under the contract, Raytheon will provide on-site field support services to the mission control, launch and recovery operations, as well as provide testing and maintenance of the ground segment to assure availability of the Global Hawk ground stations, deployed and operating at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., and Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.

"The Global Hawk UAS, supported by Raytheon's ground station, has proven its capabilities with more than 94,000 flight hours and 5,500 missions," added Busey. The contractor logistics support work for the RQ-4 Global Hawk will continue through September 2014.

Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk UAS provides high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial reconnaissance capabilities valuable in military, humanitarian and environmental missions.