Reply #82: Global Hawk

[DrDebug]

The Northrop Grumman (formerly Ryan Aeronautical) RQ-4 Global Hawk (known as Tier II+ during development) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used by the US Air Force as a surveillance aircraft. (1)

On 18 Jun 1999 the Global Hawk - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle stays airborne for more than 27 hours (6)

On June 2000 Global Hawk successfully completed a military utility assessment carried out at Eglin Air Force base, Florida. (7)

On April 24, 2001 a Global Hawk flew non-stop from Edwards Air Force Base in the US to RAAF Base Edinburgh in Australia, making history by being the first pilotless aircraft to cross the Pacific Ocean. The flight took 22 hours. (3)

Many people who died on the planes were indirectly connected to the Global Hawk project. (8)

Global Hawk prototypes have been used in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. (1)

There is photographic evidence to suggest that a Global Hawk could have been used at the Pentagon (4) This investigation is not about whether it was a plane, missile or explosives or a combination, however missiles like Global Hawk are a candidate for at least the Pentagon and WTC2.

The velocity of the known models is bit less than the estimations given for the Pentagon and the WTC: 250 kilometers per hour (cruise speed) and a top speed of 636 kilometers per hour (1), however it can still fit the range.

Different variants and Darkstar
The Global Hawk comes in different variants. The Global Hawk is available in two major variants, the RQ-4A, which is the original variant, and the RQ-4B, which is somewhat larger, and has a 50% greater payload capacity. (1)

The "R" is the Department of Defense designation for reconnaissance; "Q" means unmanned aircraft system. The "4" refers to it being the fourth of a series of purpose-built unmanned reconnaissance aircraft systems. "A" or "B" refers to these being the first and second revisions, respectively. (1)

Global Hawk is complemented by the DarkStar system, a Uav with low-observable characteristics. DarkStar is for use in high- threat environments where ensured, survivable coverage is more important than range and endurance. The complementary nature of the two systems provides a flexible, cost-effective mix for military commanders. (5)

Navigation
The Integrated Sensor Suite (ISS) is provided by Raytheon and consists of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR), electro-optical (EO), and infrared (IR) sensors.

Navigation is via inertial navigation with integrated Global Positioning System updates. Global Hawk is intended to operate autonomously and "untethered" using a satellite data link (2) (either Ku or UHF) for sending sensor data from the aircraft to the MCE. (1)

Sources:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Hawk
2. TrailBlazer?
3. http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/Nelsontpl.cfm?Curren...
4. http://membres.lycos.fr/applemacintosh2/Pentagon2.htm
5. http://911review.org/Sept11Wiki/GlobalHawk.shtml
6. http://www.af.mil/news/radio/Jun1999 /
7. http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/global /
8. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...