Global Hawk Block 30
Why is the US Air Force seeking to scrap its Global Hawk Block 30 unmanned reconnaissance planes? A new white paper Global Hawk Block 30 and Defense Strategy suggests the move is out of step with the Asia-Pacific strategy.
Global Hawk Block 30s fly as high as 65,000 feet and collect optical, infrared and radar pictures plus other intelligence. As you guessed from the soft tropic thunderclouds and wet runway, the Global Hawk Block 30 shown here is operational at Andersen AFB, Guam. The USAF stationed a detachment there in September 2010 to beef up strategy reconnaissance.
Scrapping Block 30s would be a shock. Just last year, the USAF insisted Global Hawk was essential to national security and said it planned to complete retirement of the U-2 by FY 2015. The USAF also spent $3.4 billion on these Global Hawks, according to a Feb. 6 report in Aviation Week.
Congress is taking note. On March 28, 2012, Rep. Jim Moran said “the taxpayer is best served” by continuing funding for Global Hawk Block 30. House marks point toward keeping Global Hawk Block 30 in the inventory.
Really, it’s a strategy issue. Global Hawk Block 30s are currently tasked with important surveillance objectives in the Pacific. Keeping an eye on China demands regular monitoring of a wider arc from the East China Sea through the Taiwan Strait and on to the South China Sea and Straits of Malacca. The distance from Guam is substantial and no other aircraft has the endurance of Global Hawk.
“If you look at the map of the Pacific,” said General Gary North, Commander, US AIr Forces, Pacific, “Guam is in the perfect location for this platform.”
Former Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General Carrol H. Chandler said the Air Force wouldn’t be trying to eliminate Global Hawk Block 30 if it wasn’t for the budget. He pointed out that high-altitude ISR is the Air Force’s job.
Back to the USAF throwing away new unmanned planes. The Global Hawk Block 30s were bought from 2009 to 2011 and average about 25 months old. Toddlers they are. The newest pair were delivered 7 months ago. Heck, my family has a kitten older than those Global Hawks. The kitten (a rescue) was born in early August 2011. The two newest Global Hawks arrived in the USAF inventory in November 2011. And so far we have only invested $452 in the kitten.
Seriously, dumping Global Hawk Block 30s for the U-2 feels all wrong. Its like a perilous first step back from relying on unmanned systems. Its a complete reversal for the USAF. Another example of spending on innovative research and failing to buy in mission quantity. Why bail so soon after the painstaking 2011 Nunn-McCurdy recertification? Most of all, why leave the Pacific and other regions uncovered? Let’s hope stakeholders don’t let this hasty decision turn into a major blunder.
Source: IRIS Independent Research
If you’re going to write an article, at least know what you’re talking about. Have ever worked with the Block 30?? I think not. If you have you would know that the Air Force is making a great decision by storing this aircraft. Why continue to waste money on a aircraft when the U-2 can do the same job for less money. Obviously, you don’t care about your tax dollars. The Air Force is not saying that the want to throw the Block 30s away. However, they would like to exhaust the U-2 until we are financially ready to use the Block 30. I work with the Block 30, and I personally know that it cannot outperform the U-2. I agree with the Air Force…the Block 30 should be stored immediately!! Congress needs to stop wasting money on thing we don’t need!
Mark,
Many thanks for your comments. I know that this is a contentious issue.
Unfortunately we can’t afford our own team of journalists so you may notice that a lot of our articles are edits from other sources.
In this case, it came from IRIS Research and the author is Dr. Rebecca Clark. There is a link in the story to her White Paper where she lays out her case in more detail.
Otherwise, I found her biography on their site: http://www.irisresearch.com/rebecca-grant-bio
Mark,
“I work with the Block 30, and I personally know that it cannot outperform the U-2” – What position are you in ? a Techinician or an Entry Level Engr ? Did you get kicked out of the GH program because of your technical knowledge? Obviously you have no clue what the are you talking about !
You are a disgrace to GH team