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The second NATO AGS remotely piloted aircraft landed in Sigonella, Italy on Thursday, 19 December 2019 at 14:39 local time.

“This second ferry flight across the Atlantic is another major achievement on our road to establishing a leading-edge Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability for all NATO Allies,” said the NATO AGS Force Commander, Brigadier General Phillip Stewart, who oversees the standing up of the unit at the Italian Air Force Base in Sigonella.

This is another achievement on our road to establishing a leading-edge Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability for all NATO Allies

The aircraft was received by the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Management Agency (NAGSMA) General Manager Brigadier General Volker Samanns, as well as AGS Force Commander Brigadier General Phillip Stewart and other senior officials.

This latest crossing of the Atlantic from California to Italy was entirely controlled by a pilot at the AGS Main Operating Base in Sigonella, in the same manner as the ferry flight of the first NATO AGS aircraft on 21 November.

The NATO AGS RQ-4D aircraft, also known as “Phoenix”, took off on Wednesday, 18 December 2019 from Edwards Air Force Base in California, United States at 8:40 local time and landed around 20 hours later at the AGS Main Operating Base in Sigonella.

“Having received the second of five Phoenix aircraft here on schedule means that we can now continue developing the NATO AGS programme and work towards Initial Operational Capability in the coming months,” General Stewart stated.

Once all five aircraft arrive in Italy in the course of 2020, NATO’s collectively owned and operated Alliance Ground Surveillance system will provide a unique state-of-the-art capability procured by 15 Allies and shared with all 29 Alliance members.

A NATO AGS RQ-4D Phoenix remotely-piloted aircraft inside a hangar at the AGS Main Operating Base located on Italian Air Base in Sigonella. Photo by Christian Timmig.

The US-built RQ-4D Phoenix and the Europe-made ground support elements will evenutally be handed over to the NATO AGS Force.

The entire AGS system is a custom-made system uniquely adapted to NATO requirements and specifically designed to meet the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) requirements identified by the North Atlantic Council and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.