After shutting down the D-Jet program and laying off most of its employees in Canada early last year, Diamond Aircraft’s North American division has been making a quiet comeback. That resurgence was in full evidence with the news yesterday that Diamond Industries Canada and Northrop Grumman are forming a long-term partnership to develop and produce new spy planes at Diamond’s headquarters at London Ontario International Airport.
A Northrop Grumman official said Diamond’s expertise in propeller aircraft led to a decision to build a facility next to Diamond’s Canadian headquarters for the development of manned and unmanned intelligence-gathering aircraft. For the last few years Diamond has been developing an “optionally piloted” military version of the DA-42 twin called the MPP, for multi-purpose platform.
