News
The 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base got a new toy of sorts this week — one that basically delivered itself.
The unmanned RQ-4 Class B Global Hawk's arrival is the first step toward training “pilots” for the aircraft who will control its flight and reconnaissance activities from the ground.
Maj. Rob Gudikunst, who's piloted several of the Class A Global Hawks, said this version has the ability to take pictures and listen in on electronic communications of all kinds.
“It'll do everything the U-2 does now,” Gudikunst said of the venerable manned spy plane the Global Hawk is supposed to replace by the end of 2013. “Initially, this'll just have imagery, but eventually, we'll get audio signals as well.”
For the next few months, the Global Hawk B will be used to train on-ground pilots and undergo testing for its sensory array. It eventually will be sent elsewhere for use in Iraq, Afghanistan or wherever else it is needed.
The plane took off Tuesday morning from Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California, but was always in contact with at least two communication links as it flew north, Gudikunst said.
Even if the communication was lost, though, the plane is still capable of continuing its path and landing on its own.
Given the plane's level of automation, learning the link system is the hardest part for pilots, Gudikunst said.
“It's important for a pilot to be able to predict what a plane will do,” he said. “Most of the time it's flying, it has a preprogrammed mission plan.
Built by Northrup Grumman under a contract with the U.S. Air Force, the Class B Global Hawk has a 130-foot wingspan, 47-foot length, 15-foot height and weighs about 32,500 pounds when fully fueled, according to Beale officials. When all instruments are installed, the plane will have a price tag of about $66 million.
With a range of about 13,500 miles — enough to fly from New York City to Sydney, Australia, Gudikunst said — the Global Hawk has no onboard weapons, which makes it ideal for Air Force officials seeking permission for flyovers from other countries.
Contact Marysville Appeal-Democrat reporter Ben van der Meer at (530) 749-4709 or bvandermeer@appealdemocrat.com.
The unmanned RQ-4 Class B Global Hawk's arrival is the first step toward training “pilots” for the aircraft who will control its flight and reconnaissance activities from the ground.
Maj. Rob Gudikunst, who's piloted several of the Class A Global Hawks, said this version has the ability to take pictures and listen in on electronic communications of all kinds.
“It'll do everything the U-2 does now,” Gudikunst said of the venerable manned spy plane the Global Hawk is supposed to replace by the end of 2013. “Initially, this'll just have imagery, but eventually, we'll get audio signals as well.”
For the next few months, the Global Hawk B will be used to train on-ground pilots and undergo testing for its sensory array. It eventually will be sent elsewhere for use in Iraq, Afghanistan or wherever else it is needed.
The plane took off Tuesday morning from Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California, but was always in contact with at least two communication links as it flew north, Gudikunst said.
Even if the communication was lost, though, the plane is still capable of continuing its path and landing on its own.
Given the plane's level of automation, learning the link system is the hardest part for pilots, Gudikunst said.
“It's important for a pilot to be able to predict what a plane will do,” he said. “Most of the time it's flying, it has a preprogrammed mission plan.
Built by Northrup Grumman under a contract with the U.S. Air Force, the Class B Global Hawk has a 130-foot wingspan, 47-foot length, 15-foot height and weighs about 32,500 pounds when fully fueled, according to Beale officials. When all instruments are installed, the plane will have a price tag of about $66 million.
With a range of about 13,500 miles — enough to fly from New York City to Sydney, Australia, Gudikunst said — the Global Hawk has no onboard weapons, which makes it ideal for Air Force officials seeking permission for flyovers from other countries.
Contact Marysville Appeal-Democrat reporter Ben van der Meer at (530) 749-4709 or bvandermeer@appealdemocrat.com.
