BRUSSELS, April 15, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Three major defense industries, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), Galileo Avionica of Italy and Northrop Grumman ISS International, Inc., of the U.S., leading an industrial initiative open to other industrial participants, submitted a White Paper recently to NATO, presenting the Transatlantic Industrial Proposed Solution (TIPS). TIPS addresses the longstanding requirement for a NATO-owned and -operated Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) capability.
The objective of TIPS is to respond to the mandate issued at last September's Reinforced meeting of the North Atlantic Council by providing NATO with an affordable, six-aircraft fleet. It will provide the minimum essential NATO-owned and -operated AGS core capability by 2010. This core capability could be complemented by an array of fully interoperable NATO member nations owned surveillance assets, including helicopters and manned/unmanned air vehicles.
The TIPS system of systems approach centers on a government-to-government cooperatively developed, active electronically scanned array radar sensor, integrated onboard a midsize jet aircraft. This trans-Atlantic radar solution would be a watershed event in industrial cooperation and technology sharing by capitalizing on technology developed in both the U.S. Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) and Europe's SOSTAR-X technology demonstrator.
The TIPS Team anticipates that the approach presented in the TIPS White Paper will help NATO meet an important requirement for an Alliance Ground Surveillance capability identified in the Defence Capabilities Initiative and contribute to the trans-Atlantic military transformation of Alliance forces.
With revenues amounting to EUR 30.8 billion and 103,000 employees, EADS European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company is the largest aerospace and defense company in Europe and number two worldwide. EADS offers a wide range of defense systems and skills in Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) in command, control and communications, in military aircraft and missile systems as well as in commercial aircraft, helicopters, space launchers and satellites.
Galileo Avionica embodies the avionics and airborne radar capabilities of Finmeccanica, Italy's largest high technologies company and national defense leader. Galileo Avionica offers systems integration capabilities and know-how, accumulated since the sixties through a process of rationalization and merging of Italian avionics systems and equipment companies.
Northrop Grumman ISS International, Inc. is a Northrop Grumman Corporation company. Northrop Grumman Corporation is an $18 billion, global defense company with its worldwide headquarters in Los Angeles. Northrop Grumman provides technologically advanced, innovative products, services and solutions in defence and commercial electronics, systems integration, information technology and nuclear and non-nuclear shipbuilding and systems. With nearly 100,000 employees and operations in 44 states and 25 countries, Northrop Grumman serves U.S. and international military, government and commercial customers.