For the second year in a row, the U.S. Air Force awarded the prestigious Dr. James G. Roche Sustainment Excellence Award for superior performance in aircraft maintenance and logistics readiness to the U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk high altitude, long endurance unmanned aircraft programme produced by Northrop Grumman Corporation .
The Sustainment Excellence Award is named for Dr. James G. Roche, the 20th Secretary of the Air Force. He served in the Air Force’s top position from 2001 to 2005.
In a March 12, 2014 letter, Headquarters U.S. Air Force Logistics, Installations and Mission Support commends the Global Hawk Division of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center for the most significant improvement in aircraft performance and sustainment. High total aircraft availability, mission capability, and low non-mission capability rates for maintenance and supply from Oct. 2012 through Sept. 2013 contributed to the award. An upgraded signals intelligence payload, ground moving target indicator and synthetic aperture radar were also noted enhancements.
“Northrop Grumman is proud to provide logistical and maintenance support to the U.S. Air Force Global Hawk team that has earned this impressive sustainment award,” said Mick Jaggers, Global Hawk Unmanned Aircraft System programme director, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. “This recognition, combined with recent awards for safety and endurance, underscores Global Hawk’s performance as a mission capable system our customers can rely on.”
Global Hawk has flown 100,500 total flight hours supporting diverse global missions. Carrying a variety of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensor payloads, Global Hawk supports antiterrorism, antipiracy, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, airborne communications and information-sharing missions.
Source: Press Release