Mobile equipment at Sigonella transferred to NATO AGS Force
The NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) Programme marked another milestone in mid-March with the transfer of the first part of the mobile deployable component of the AGS system to the NATO AGS Force in Sigonella, Italy.
The NATO AGS Management Agency (NAGSMA) transferred the Mobile General Ground Station (MGGS) to the AGS Force for familiarization and training. The MGGS unit is the first piece of exploitation equipment taken over by the AGS Force in the framework of the AGS Programme. NATO’s AGS Core system includes five remotely piloted RQ-4D Phoenix aircraft, developed and produced specifically to NATO’s requirements, as well as mobile and transportable ground segments.
The AGS system is being procured by 15 Allies via NAGSMA, who together with industry and the NATO AGS Force continues performance tests at Sigonella aiming at handing over the entire system to the AGS Force. The first two of five RQ-4D Phoenix aircraft arrived in Sigonella in November and December 2019 and a test flight over the Mediterranean Sea was performed in March of this year. The initial Operational Capability is scheduled for 2020.