Milestone Achieved: Global Hawk Drone Celebrates 200,000 Hours in the Skies
Global Hawk Achieves 200,000 Flight Hours Milestone
SAN DIEGO, July 26, 2016 — Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE:NOC) autonomous Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS) has officially surpassed 200,000 flight hours, solidifying its reputation as the leading high-altitude, long-endurance intelligence-gathering aircraft globally. Notably, the U.S. Air Force’s Global Hawks accounted for an impressive 88 percent of these flight hours, while the remainder was logged by NASA Global Hawks, Germany’s Full Scale Demonstrator, and the Navy’s broad area maritime surveillance systems.
Operating at altitudes reaching 60,000 feet for over 30 hours, Global Hawks survey vast areas in a single mission. Equipped with various sensor payloads, these drones enable military commanders to capture near real-time imagery and utilize radar for detecting both moving and stationary ground targets. Furthermore, the system enhances airborne communications and information sharing for military units in challenging environments.
“Global Hawk has not only set endurance records but has also maintained an unmatched safety record, reducing per-hour flight costs to half that of manned alternatives,” stated Mick Jaggers, Vice President and Program Manager for Global Hawk at Northrop Grumman. “This milestone holds special significance as it arrives just before the 15th anniversary of Global Hawk’s inaugural deployment following the 9/11 attacks. We anticipate that Global Hawk will continue delivering vital ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) information to our warfighters.”
The Global Hawk system is committed to innovation, consistently modernizing its capabilities by incorporating new technologies that enhance performance and reliability. Earlier this year, the Global Hawk successfully showcased a SYERS-2 intelligence-gathering sensor, marking a groundbreaking moment as it was demonstrated on a high-altitude autonomous aircraft. Northrop Grumman is set to introduce an Optical Bar Camera and an MS-177 multispectral sensor later this year through Global Hawk’s open systems architecture.
Since its deployment shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Global Hawk has played a pivotal role in operational and humanitarian missions worldwide, assisting during events like the Southern California wildfires, the Japanese tsunami, the Haitian earthquake, and the Philippines’ typhoon. Additionally, NASA’s Global Hawk actively monitors environmental changes and tropical storm developments, contributing groundbreaking approaches to high-altitude atmospheric research.
