Flight International online news 15:00GMT: The U.S. Navy's most advanced unmanned aerial system, the RQ-4A Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration (GHMD), took part in a demonstration flight with the Air Force last week.
The mission, lasting more than 12 hours, was flown in the US Navy's Pacific Ocean test ranges off southern California and was intended to test the effectiveness of the Global Hawk's radar to detect small aircraft in flight.
The tests conducted will determine the capability of the radar to find and track airborne targets, and to pass sensor information in real time to ground facilities across the country.
The RQ-4A Global Hawk, manufactured by Northrop-Grumman, is one of the most sophisticated UAS in the American military.
With a length of 44 feet, a wingspan of 116 feet, and a gross weight of 25,600 lbs, the Global Hawk is comparable in size to a U-2 or a small business jet.
Operating at an altitude of approximately 60,000 feet, the Global Hawk endurance is well in excess of 24 hours.
Sensors include radar and a high-resolution digital camera operating in both visible and infrared spectra. Data is passed to the ground stations in real time by both line-of-sight and high-speed satellite communications links.
ROSS BENTLEY/LONDON
Source: Flight International
