Northrop Grumman Corporation has completed early delivery of two Global Hawk unmanned aircraft to the U.S. Air Force.
Both aircraft were delivered ahead of schedule in late November.
One of the vehicles was a Block 30 variant, while the other was a Block 40 vehicle, company spokesman Warren Comer told the Air Force Magazine Daily Report. The Block 30 is configured to carry electro-optical and infrared sensors, along with a radar and electronic eavesdropping equipment. The Block 40 is built to house the MP-RTIP advanced electronically scanned array radar.
In all in 2012, Northrop Grumman said it handed over three RQ-4s to the Air Force, including one Block 20 airframe in September. The latter carries the Battlefield Airborne Communication Node payload to relay tactical communications between air and ground assets and is now designated the EQ-4B.
“Global Hawk’s ability to fly more than 30 hours at high altitudes while gathering multiple types of intelligence data makes it extremely valuable to field commanders who need near real-time information,” said George Guerra, Vice-President for Global Hawk unmanned aircraft systems. “These new aircraft add to that capability.”
In 2012, three new Global Hawks were delivered to the Air Force and five previously delivered aircraft completed installation of additional sensors that will allow them to gather multiple types of intelligence data during a single mission.
A total of 37 Global Hawks have been delivered to the Air Force.
Global Hawk carries a variety of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensor payloads that allow military commanders to gather imagery and use radar to detect moving or stationary targets on the ground. The system also provides airborne communications and information sharing capabilities to military units in harsh environments.
Combined with Global Hawk’s ability to fly for long periods, the aircraft’s 12,300 nautical mile range makes the system ideally suited to take on many different ISR missions.
Global Hawk has logged more than 80,000 flight hours and has been used over battlefields in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. The unmanned aircraft system has also supported intelligence gathering and reconnaissance efforts following the devastating earthquakes that struck Haiti and Japan.
Photo: RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40 – Northrop Grumman/Alan Radecki
Source: Press Release/Air Force Magazine