RQ-4 Global Hawk

摘要

The RQ-4 Global Hawk High Altitude Endurance UAV (HAE-UAV) is a high altitude reconnaissance UAV with greater range and endurance than the RQ-1A Predator. Development began in the spring of 1995 with the selection of the Teledyne Ryan/E-Systems team (now Northrop Grumman). The Global Hawk conducted its first flight in February 1998; the eighth Global Hawk (which was also the first series production aircraft) was delivered to the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale AFB in September 2003. Series production was first funded in the FY02 budget. Initial serial production of the RQ-4A was nine air vehicles (seven USAF, 2 USN). Production of the enhanced RQ-4B started with the second air vehicle of Lot 3, funded in FY04, the 17th aircraft built. Assembly of the first Block 30 aircraft with the ASIP sensor began in 2006 on AFB and was delivered in July 2008. In February 2012, the Air Force announced plans to cancel further RQ-4 Block 30 production and to mothball the fleet of 18 aircraft due to high operational costs; Congress resisted this effort. The FY14 budget and sequestration cut further procurement beyond the two aircraft funded in FY12 bringing the total USAF production run to 45 (seven Block 10; 6 Block 20; 21 Block 30; 11 Block 40). The FY15 budget marked another change in course, with the USAF indicating it would keep the Block 30 in service and retire the U-2. The budget contained no additional funding for additional aircraft, but did include extensive funding for development and modifications to keep the existing fleet in service for the foreseeable future.