
PALMDALE, Calif. -- Northrop Grumman [NOC] on June 4 rolled out the first of five Global Hawks specially built for the NATO alliance.The milestone is the culmination of a program that began 20 years ago when NATO developed requirements for a high-altitude ground surveillance capability. The first aircraft is scheduled to fly in August and will then be ferried to Sigonella, Italy, where it will be based alongside U.S. Air Force and Navy versions of the Global Hawks.Initial operational capability…