NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS)

NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) is an alliance-owned fleet of five RQ-4D Phoenix high-altitude drones with ground surveillance radar, plus ground stations, based at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy. Fifteen Allies bought the system through the NATO AGS Management Agency, which signed a 1.7 billion dollar contract with Northrop Grumman as prime contractor on 20 May 2012, with Airbus, Leonardo and Kongsberg in the industrial team. AGS reached initial operational capability on 15 February 2021, and full handover to all Allies and the NATO Support and Procurement Agency was completed on 31 March 2022. It is operated by the NATO Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force, the name the AGS Force took in September 2023.