The US Air Force has lost one of its five Northrop Grumman RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned air vehicles (UAV) while it was returning from a high-altitude surveillance mission over Afghanistan.
The UAV was lost on 30 December as the result of a "maintenance-related malfunction" rather than enemy action, says the USAF.
The Global Hawks are believed to have been operating from a base within the region, but the location of the crash site was not revealed because of "host nation" sensitivities. The air force plans to retrieve the wreckage.
With the UAV still under development, low rate initial production is limited to only two a year - a rate set to remain until 2008 when it is due to double.
While not yet operational, the radar and electro-optical sensor-equipped UAV has been pressed into service to improve surveillance coverage of Afghanistan. Previously the USAF had planned to make limited operational use of theRQ-4A from fiscal year 2003.
The previous loss of a Global Hawk, in March 1999, was attributed to the UAV receiving a flight termination signal intended for another system. Another Global Hawk was damaged in a landing accident.
The USAF is likely to order 60 RQ-4As for surveillance duties.
Source: Flight International
