Before Final Acceptance of the Integrated NATO AGS Core System, Airbus is contributing significantly to preparations for successful introduction of the NATO AGS System. On 30 January 2019, the Initial In-Service Support Frame Contract was signed between the NATO AGS Management Agency (NAGSMA) and Airbus, to provide sustainment services relevant for timely parts supply and maintenance of accepted MGGS units.
Grand visit by Brigadier General Volker Samanns, the NAGSMA General Manager, Mr Paul Linnell, the NAGSMA Programme Manager, and Ms Katja Budischin, the responsible NAGSMA Contracting Officer at Airbus Friedrichshafen for signing the IISS Frame Contract.
The AGS Core programme is moving purposefully towards completion and System Level Performance Verification (SLPV) of the NATO AGS Core System, which will be based at the NATO Air Base in Sigonella, ITA.
Airbus' MGGS entities are already on site and successfully integrated into the NATO AGS Ground Segment. The next important AGS milestone will be the Ferry Flight of the NATO AGS Global Hawk air vehicles from California to the NATO AGS Main Operating Base in Sigonella. This will be followed by a System Level Performance Verification (SLPV) which will include the entire AGS system, Air and Ground Segments, and then Handover to the NATO AGS Force (NAGSF).
The Airbus IISS frame contract enables NAGSMA to acquire in-service support services by individual task orders whenever they are needed. This includes the provision of an initial spare parts package, recurring maintenance and repair services for the accepted entities, and a provision for "unplanned" support needs. After SLPV and following Handover, Airbus will perform recurring initial in-service support over a 15 month period, which serves as the reference for the long-term ISS (In Service Support) to be managed by NAGSMA's partner agency, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), within the NATO AGS Life-Cycle Management Framework.
NAGSMA signs (is going to sign) a task order about 5,5 Mio € for recurring IISS services and 1,0 Mio € for the Initial Spares.
