Flight International,
Island state interested in airborne early warning RQ-4 development to expand surveillance capabilities
Singapore received a formal briefing from the USA on the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned air vehicle late last month as it looks to improve its airborne early warning (AEW) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) capabilities.
Industry sources say Singapore is interested in a Global Hawk variant modified to conduct high-altitude, long-endurance AEW and airborne ground surveillance missions, and that this could potentially include indigenous sensor and battle management systems.
Singapore currently operates four Northrop E-2C Hawkeyes on AEW missions, but has in recent years been looking at a mix of new platforms for delivery from 2007-8, including Gulfstream G550 business jets equipped with AEW and SIGINT mission systems supplied by Israel Aircraft Industries.
Sources say Singapore confidentially committed to the G550-based solution several years ago, but also seeks long-endurance UAVs to meet its future requirements, although an acquisition is not imminent.
In 2002 the country began talks with EADS on collaborating on a new medium- to high-altitude, long-endurance UAV derived from the Euromale programme as a solution to its proposed low-altitude, long-endurance UAV requirement.
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