First U.S. Air Force Global Hawk Arrives in Grand Forks

Someoneforyou

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First Global Hawk Arrives at Its New Home in Grand Forks
UNITED STATES - 1 JUNE 2011

GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D., June 1, 2011 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) and the U.S. Air Force commemorated the arrival of the first RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS) at Grand Forks Air Force Base. The aircraft landed on May 26 from Beale Air Force Base, Calif. The arrival of the Global Hawk also commemorates Grand Forks as the second main operating base in the United States after Beale.

"Expanding the Global Hawk's mission of high altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in today's fight is essential," said Brig. Gen. Paul H. McGillicuddy, 9th Reconnaissance Wing commander. "Having this platform at Grand Forks allows us the ability to fly more missions providing continuous support to combatant commanders around the world."

Both Block 20 and 40 Global Hawks will be controlled from Grand Forks. The Block 40 Global Hawk will deploy from the Grand Forks main operating base to any location worldwide for both military and humanitarian applications.

"We are proud to celebrate the arrival of the Global Hawk and establish Grand Forks as Global Hawk's second main operating base," said George Guerra, HALE Systems vice president, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "The addition of a second main operating base will further enable Global Hawk to provide 24/7 global coverage for both military and humanitarian efforts."

Block 20 and 40 are alike in size, but differ in payload configurations. The Block 40 Global Hawks are equipped with the Northrop Grumman AN/ZPY-2 Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) sensor, built with teammate Raytheon Space and Missile Systems in El Segundo, Calif. The MP-RTIP is the first radar sensor to concurrently use synthetic aperture radar imaging, while tracking moving targets simultaneously over large areas.

The RQ-4 Global Hawk flies up to 60,000 feet, above weather and commercial air traffic. Global Hawk flies for more than 32 hours per sortie at speeds approaching 340 knots. The MP-RTIP-equipped Block 40 Global Hawk can persistently see through most types of weather, day or night. As the world's first fully autonomous HALE UAS, Global Hawk meets the global need for persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk program is based at its Aerospace Systems' Unmanned Systems Development Center in San Diego. The company performs Global Hawk subassembly work at its Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss., and final assembly at its Antelope Valley Manufacturing Center in Palmdale, Calif.



Global Hawk arrives to Grand Forks Air Force Base.



Source: Northrop Grumman Corporation
 

Someoneforyou

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The first RQ-4 Global Hawk arrived in late May at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., which is the second operating base for the unmanned aircraft.
 

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