Global Hawk UAV Supports Border Ops In Iraq

Posted on: Mar. 12th, 2007 || Source: Aviation Week | E-mail Article | Print Article

With the arrival of the first production Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the Middle East last year, the program transitioned from a mere concept demonstration project to a fully operational weapon system supporting the Iraq war. Though the high-flying aircraft still has a lot to prove, operators are growing increasingly confident in its intelligence-gathering capabilities. But it has yet to demonstrate its ability to carry more advanced sensors, so commanders remain unwilling to fully transfer high-altitude reconnaissance missions from the venerable U-2.

Aviation Week & Space Technology was granted exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Global Hawk operations in Iraq. Military Editor Amy Butler was the first journalist provided the first classified access to the Global Hawk ground station at Beale AFB, Calif., to observe an Iraq mission in November.

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