Northrop Grumman Corporation has announced that it will compete as the prime contractor for the U.S. Army's Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS).

According to the Army's request for proposals, the EMARSS program includes a low-risk, low-cost enhanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft design.

This includes four engineering and manufacturing development aircraft to be delivered within 18 months of contract award and an option for delivery of four more low-rate initial production aircraft within 12 months of execution of the option.

"Advanced ISR solutions, such as EMARSS, are required by our men and women in uniform decisively engaged in irregular warfare in Afghanistan today," said Tom Vice, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Technical Services.

"Our EMARSS proposal is strengthened not only by our superior performance on similar programs, but also through combining the core ISR capabilities that reside across the Northrop Grumman Corporation."

EMARSS is the new program of record for the U.S. Army for integration, modification and delivery of Hawker Beechcraft 350ER aircraft. The mission of EMARSS is to conduct reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition operations in support of ground combat units in overwatch and to maintain a persistent presence over demonstrated at-risk areas.

"Our warfighters need total situational awareness for the tactical overwatch mission in today's asymmetrical battlespace, and no one understands that better than Northrop Grumman," said Bob Gamache, director of global materials and surveillance programs for Northrop Grumman Technical Services Integrated Logistics and Modernization Division.

"As a leader in Army ISR integration, we take "uncertainty" out of the equation by delivering real-time, actionable intelligence to the commander on the ground."

Northrop Grumman is an industry leader in both manned and unmanned ISR systems as demonstrated by such programs as Joint STARS, Global Hawk, Guardrail and the MQ-5B Hunter.