SAN DIEGO - Northrop Grumman is praising the U.S. government's decision to allow the export of some unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), but said more work is needed to address industry concerns that it is losing market share due to bans on the export of larger UAVs.
The main sticking point is the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). This agreement aims to prevent the proliferation of missiles capable of carrying a 500-kg payload over a distance of 300 kilometers. The rules were amended in 1992 to include larger UAVs.
Northrop Grumman, builder of the RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV, and other firms have long urged changes that would allow them to compete with Israel and other countries.