The Air Force is mulling a Northrop Grumman proposal to lower the cost of removing sensors from U-2 spy planes and installing them on Global Hawk Block 30 unmanned aircraft even though the transfer poses "operational implications." On May 24, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said the service has received Northrop's proposal to lower the cost of reconfiguring the Block 30 aircraft so that it is capable of carrying the U-2's sensors, but added that there are "operational implications from that proposal of using sensors off the U-2." Both aircraft are capable of performing high-altitude, lone-endurance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
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