One week after disclosing a fleet-wide safety stand-down, the US Air Force plans to deploy two production Northrop Grumman RQ-4A Global Hawks to support US and coalition forces involved in operations in Iraq.

Northrop Grumman says the deployment in the third quarter will mark the first use of production RQ-4As in an operational theatre.

The two aircraft, which are now stationed at Beale AFB, California, will be joining a third aircraft which is already in theatre, an early development model that was produced in the late 1990s.

Both aircraft are now under-going a final round of operational checkout trials at Beale in preparation for the deployment, says Northrop.

USAF officials have released many RQ-4As to resume flying this week after the fleet was grounded in late July.

Source: Flight International