NATO has deferred declaring initial operating capability (IOC) for its Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme, citing delays due to ongoing Covid-19-related restrictions.

NATO now intends to declare IOC for its Phoenix-based AGS capability in early 2021. (NATO)

A spokesperson for the multinational programme told Janes on 22 December that the IOC that was due to be declared before the end of the year will now happen in early 2021.

“IOC for NATO’s fleet of AGS long-range surveillance drones is currently expected for early 2021 as the coronavirus pandemic delayed the programme back several months,” NATO told Janes.

While IOC for the NATO AGS Force (NAGSF) has been temporarily deferred, the spokesperson noted that training missions of the five RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40-derived RQ-4D Phoenix high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have already been flown via the early site acceptance (ESA) and early operational capability (EOC) constructs from earlier in the year. With these constructs, the spokesperson told Janes that the NAGSF was already offering up operational reconnaissance data to the alliance even though IOC was not yet declared.

NATO has deferred declaring initial operating capability (IOC) for its Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme, citing delays due to ongoing Covid-19-related restrictions.

NATO now intends to declare IOC for its Phoenix-based AGS capability in early 2021. (NATO)

A spokesperson for the multinational programme told Janes on 22 December that the IOC that was due to be declared before the end of the year will now happen in early 2021.

“IOC for NATO’s fleet of AGS long-range surveillance drones is currently expected for early 2021 as the coronavirus pandemic delayed the programme back several months,” NATO told Janes.

While IOC for the NATO AGS Force (NAGSF) has been temporarily deferred, the spokesperson noted that training missions of the five RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40-derived RQ-4D Phoenix high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have already been flown via the early site acceptance (ESA) and early operational capability (EOC) constructs from earlier in the year. With these constructs, the spokesperson told Janes that the NAGSF was already offering up operational reconnaissance data to the alliance even though IOC was not yet declared.

NATO has deferred declaring initial operating capability (IOC) for its Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme, citing delays due to ongoing Covid-19-related restrictions.

NATO now intends to declare IOC for its Phoenix-based AGS capability in early 2021. (NATO)

A spokesperson for the multinational programme told Janes on 22 December that the IOC that was due to be declared before the end of the year will now happen in early 2021.

“IOC for NATO’s fleet of AGS long-range surveillance drones is currently expected for early 2021 as the coronavirus pandemic delayed the programme back several months,” NATO told Janes.

While IOC for the NATO AGS Force (NAGSF) has been temporarily deferred, the spokesperson noted that training missions of the five RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40-derived RQ-4D Phoenix high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have already been flown via the early site acceptance (ESA) and early operational capability (EOC) constructs from earlier in the year. With these constructs, the spokesperson told Janes that the NAGSF was already offering up operational reconnaissance data to the alliance even though IOC was not yet declared.

NATO has deferred declaring initial operating capability (IOC) for its Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme, citing delays due to ongoing Covid-19-related restrictions.

NATO now intends to declare IOC for its Phoenix-based AGS capability in early 2021. (NATO)

A spokesperson for the multinational programme told Janes on 22 December that the IOC that was due to be declared before the end of the year will now happen in early 2021.

“IOC for NATO’s fleet of AGS long-range surveillance drones is currently expected for early 2021 as the coronavirus pandemic delayed the programme back several months,” NATO told Janes.

While IOC for the NATO AGS Force (NAGSF) has been temporarily deferred, the spokesperson noted that training missions of the five RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40-derived RQ-4D Phoenix high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have already been flown via the early site acceptance (ESA) and early operational capability (EOC) constructs from earlier in the year. With these constructs, the spokesperson told Janes that the NAGSF was already offering up operational reconnaissance data to the alliance even though IOC was not yet declared.

NATO has deferred declaring initial operating capability (IOC) for its Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme, citing delays due to ongoing Covid-19-related restrictions.

NATO now intends to declare IOC for its Phoenix-based AGS capability in early 2021. (NATO)

A spokesperson for the multinational programme told Janes on 22 December that the IOC that was due to be declared before the end of the year will now happen in early 2021.

“IOC for NATO’s fleet of AGS long-range surveillance drones is currently expected for early 2021 as the coronavirus pandemic delayed the programme back several months,” NATO told Janes.

While IOC for the NATO AGS Force (NAGSF) has been temporarily deferred, the spokesperson noted that training missions of the five RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40-derived RQ-4D Phoenix high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have already been flown via the early site acceptance (ESA) and early operational capability (EOC) constructs from earlier in the year. With these constructs, the spokesperson told Janes that the NAGSF was already offering up operational reconnaissance data to the alliance even though IOC was not yet declared.

NATO has deferred declaring initial operating capability (IOC) for its Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme, citing delays due to ongoing Covid-19-related restrictions.

NATO now intends to declare IOC for its Phoenix-based AGS capability in early 2021. (NATO)

A spokesperson for the multinational programme told Janes on 22 December that the IOC that was due to be declared before the end of the year will now happen in early 2021.

“IOC for NATO’s fleet of AGS long-range surveillance drones is currently expected for early 2021 as the coronavirus pandemic delayed the programme back several months,” NATO told Janes.

While IOC for the NATO AGS Force (NAGSF) has been temporarily deferred, the spokesperson noted that training missions of the five RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40-derived RQ-4D Phoenix high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have already been flown via the early site acceptance (ESA) and early operational capability (EOC) constructs from earlier in the year. With these constructs, the spokesperson told Janes that the NAGSF was already offering up operational reconnaissance data to the alliance even though IOC was not yet declared.