Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk

Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk History

The Northrop Grumman Global Hawk is a large-capacity unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used by U.S. Air Force and Navy agencies for long-range, high-endurance intelligence gathering, target identification, and general reconnaissance.

As U.S. military inventory One of the larger UAVs in the mid-sized range, the Global Hawk system benefits from an inherently good operating envelope, offering ground commanders and war planners an invaluable quality for extended dwell times. To date, the system has been used by the U.S. and German militaries, but it costs $104 million each and has yet to be mass-produced or deployed.

At the time of writing (2013), there are about 47 units in service - most in the US Air Force, and one example in the German Armed Forces, called the "Eruo Hawk".

The Global Hawk is the most unique of all drones today. The overall configuration of the aircraft is the same as that of conventional aircraft, but with unique shape, unique shape and smooth lines.

The inside of the nose cone is domed for the desired sensor equipment and complements the fuselage contour to promote a streamlined shape. The torso tapers back in the usual fashion.

The engine is mounted at the rear of the spine and is characterized by an air intake for the aspirated engine and its exhaust at the rear above the fuselage. The tail is covered by two outwardly sloping vertical fins and a pair of ventral struts below the fuselage. The overall structure of the main wing assembly is straight and mounted low on the side of the fuselage.

The Global Hawk uses fully retractable landing gear. There is no horizontal stabilizer.

The Global Hawk is equipped with an interior sensory suite provided by Raytheon and Hughes, while the aircraft itself operates via a satellite-guided data link. This data link enables complete transmission of information in the form of video and images to a terrestrial source (within the range of a terrestrial receiver).

Like most modern drones, the Global Hawk tracks its position via GPS without exposing Allied pilots to enemy danger or bad weather.

The Global Hawk has considered several US-friendly allies, including Australia, Canada, Japan and South Korea (and possibly India and New Zealand). An offshoot of the RQ-4 was the RQ-4B "Eurohawk" developed for the Luftwaffe. This particular model is equipped with special EADS reconnaissance equipment and arrived in Germany in July 2011. The Air Force intends to procure the first five aircraft, including those already in service.

In use, the Global Hawk could replace a larger manned reconnaissance platform, like the Germans (who currently rely on the Dassault-Breguet Atlantic as a reconnaissance platform). NATO is considering a NATO AGS (Alliance Ground Surveillance) version, which is still under development.

You can get up to five at the end of the project.

The Global Hawk family initially arrived as Block 0, the first 7 advanced concept technology demonstration aircraft. Of these, 3 were lost in service, 3 were handed over to NASA, and one example ended up in a museum collection. Under the Block 10 initiative, 9 samples were produced, 2 of which became museum collections, 2 were sent to NASA, and 5 were sent to the US Navy (1 sample was lost in action). As part of the Block 20 program, six were produced for the U.S.

Air Force, four equipped with communications relay equipment and two serving as testbeds. As part of the Block 30 program, 16 aircraft were built for the U.S. Air Force, with a total of 31 planned. While the U.S. government has approved 21, about 10 may be canceled due to budget constraints.

The Block 40 initiative, the latest form of the Global Hawk, is currently in development with eight airframes completed.

The Global Hawk was the first drone to fly over the Pacific Ocean, flying from Edwards Air Force Base, USA to Royal Air Force Base Edinburgh, Australia, on April 24, 2001.

The U.S. Navy is testing a special surface form in the "Triton" (Wide Area Maritime Surveillance) variant of BAMS, of which 68 are optimistically planned for procurement. The plane, which has been officially named the MQ-4C "Triton," has at least five Global Hawks modified for testing in the June 2012 crash that lost a demonstrator. If all goes according to plan, the U.S.

Navy will begin fielding them sometime in 2015.

The Global Hawk program is currently (2013) the target of the US long-term military budget. While powerful, the system has proven to be an expensive addition to the U.S. Air Force's product line, especially given the costs associated with operations and image transmission. If authorities realize that the benefits of such a large unmanned aerial system will not outweigh the cost of the project, it is likely that a decision will be made to put the Northrop Grumman product on hold and mothball a few airframes.

As the Air Force begins to refocus on the Lockheed U-2 for its surveillance needs, the Block 40 program may not emerge. Northrop Grumman is trying to rationalize the cost of the Global Hawk Block 30 aircraft in a bid to reverse the direction of the U.S. Air Force.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes