US Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk flew over Ukraine ADS-B transponder turned on

In an article posted on The Aviationist website by David Cenciotti, he is reporting that the U.S. Air Force’s gigantic Global Hawk drones have been flying over Ukraine for about two years. However, they recently let everyone  know they were there.

Aircraft serial number #04-2021 turned on its ADS-B transponder on October 15 using hex address AE27A7 while flying over Ukraine at 50175 feet squawking 5527.

U.S. RQ-4Bs belonging to the 9th Operations Group/Detachment 4th of the U.S. Air Force deployed to Sigonella from Beale Air Force Base, California, have been flying ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance) missions in support of EUCOM, AFRICOM and CENTCOM theater mission tasking since 2011.

You can read David's entire article at https://theaviationist.com/2016/10/18/u-s-air-force-rq-4-global-hawk-drone-flew-over-ukraine-with-transponder-turned-on-for-everyone-to-see/

Beale reserve unit returns to refueling mission

Thanks to Iden on SoCalMilcom for the heads up. What frequency will they use for their CP? Will it be the old Tahoe Control on 256.025 MHz? Who will be the first to log it?

“After nearly 8 years, KC-135s are coming back to Beale”

KC-135R 60-0323 (ex-434ARW) Arrived on the base July 10.

USAF Photo

 BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Air Force Reserve's 940th Wing here was officially redesignated as the 940th Air Refueling Wing on April 29.

The wing will change from the C2ISR (command, control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) mission to the air refueling mission and fly KC-135 Stratotanker, which has provided aerial refueling capability for the United States Air Force for more than 50 years.

The redesignation and mission change will also see the unit change Numbered Air Force organizational assignments from 10th Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, to 4th Air Force, March Air Reserve Base, California

Historically, the 940th flew Stratotankers for more than three decades until the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission re-aligned the unit.

An air refueling wing since 1977, the unit moved from Mather AFB, California, to McClellan AFB, California, in 1993, and then here in 1998. The former two bases have since closed.

The official ceremony to celebrate the mission redesignation is schedule June 4 at 10 a.m. More information for the ceremony will be released in upcoming weeks.

The first mission-ready KC-135 Stratotanker arrived at Beale Air Force Base July 10 (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Brenda Davis)

Global Hawk takes northern route, improves efficiency

by Randy Roughton, Defense Media Activity - San Antonio

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- Staff Sgt. Ryan Conversi's eyes
remain focused on a pair of industrial-strength laptop computers as the time
approaches for the next launch of an RQ-4 Global Hawk on the Beale Air Force
Base flightline.

One of the computers is a vehicle test controller and the other contains
Sergeant Conversi's technical orders. Both help the 12th Aircraft
Maintenance Unit crew chief communicate with the operator as he prepares for
the Global Hawk's next journey over Canada on the way to a forward operating
location in Southwest Asia.

Since April, when the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron's Global Hawks began
flying the northern route, maintainers have noticed an ability to get the
aircraft serviced and back into the forward operation location more
efficiently. The aircraft previously flew from Beale AFB to Naval Air
Station Patuxent River, Md., before continuing the route to Southwest Asia.
The aircraft must return to Beale AFB for critical routine maintenance, so
the new route decreases the time required to transport aircraft between the
two locations.

"We're constantly swapping aircraft out for maintenance to provide the
forward operators with fresh aircraft," said Capt. Gary Toroni, the 12th
Operations Support Squadron flight commander. "The ability to fly through
Canada also affords us the opportunity to not only have the aircraft out
there in a short time period, but also bring them back so we can do service
and maintenance and be able to get them forward-deployed."

The 12th AMU is the first of its kind to provide maintenance and generation
capabilities for the remotely piloted aircraft. Sergeant Conversi and Staff
Sgt. William Murray, a 12th AMU avionics specialist, have both noticed a
decrease in manpower needed for maintenance in the first month the Global
Hawk has flown the new route. The aircraft usually can be prepped within
three hours after landing on the Beale AFB flightline.

"As far as flying over Canada to the (area of responsibility) goes, it just
reduces our timetable for getting the jets transferred over there," said
Master Sgt. Edwin Sims, the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron production
superintendent. "It's basically more efficient. Otherwise, we have to go to
a staging point in between and have people set up there before the aircraft
even gets there. Now, we prep it to go here and it flies all the way. Now
all we have to worry about are the jets coming back, so it cuts down on our
maintenance."

The Global Hawk's first flight on the northern route to Southwest Asia in
April marked its first over Canada on a non-training mission. The new route
has increased the Global Hawk's efficiency by about 50 percent, Captain
Toroni said.

"Efficiency relates to effectiveness, so if we're able to get the aircraft
operating without the variable of sending it to the East Coast before we
forward deploy it, we've got manpower back here to do other missions,
whether they are for Haiti relief or continental United States missions," he
said.

The Global Hawks are assigned to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing from Beale
AFB and provide a broad spectrum of intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance collection capability to support joint combatant forces in
real-time peacetime, contingency and wartime operations.

USAF intel agency officials support Haitian relief efforts

LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- High-altitude damage assessment imagery as well as linguistic support are being provided for disaster relief and recovery efforts in Haiti by members of the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency headquartered here.

The imagery from the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft based at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., is being used by Department of Defense officials to provide disaster assessments for the consortium of agencies working on relief efforts with U.S. Southern Command officials in Miami.

Analysts from the 548th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group at Beale AFB are providing assessments of the imagery to assist in all aspects of recovery and relief.

"The Global Hawk can shoot images fast enough so that it is close to video quality. Yesterday it took 400 to 700 images and today it will take 1,000 images over the country," said Col. Bradley Butz, the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing vice commander. "We are providing unclassified images to U.S. Southern Command for its use and SOUTHCOM, in turn, provides these images to the agencies supporting the relief efforts in Haiti."

"We are committed to working with our sister services, partners and allies to ensure our global enterprise can direct the talents of our team wherever needed," said Col. Daniel Johnson, the 480th ISR Wing commander. "Today that need is in Haiti, and it is our privilege to support this effort and hopefully help save lives."

Members of the agency's 361st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group at Hurlburt Field, Fla., are supporting Air Force Special Operations Command's efforts to stabilize the airport in Port-au-Prince as well as other security issues.

"Airmen from the 361st (ISRG), and others from the 70th (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) Wing, quickly mobilized to provide linguistic support for commanders in Port-au-Prince," said Col. James Rix, the 361st ISRG commander. "The objective is to ensure U.S. forces are able to work closely and seamlessly with local officials to assist Haitian rescue efforts, and facilitate U.S. and international community response to this disaster."

Unclassified photographs of the destruction in Haiti shot from a Global Hawk can be found at www.southcom.mil/appssc/photogallery.php.

Airmen provide intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance

Airmen quickly remove the final pins from a U-2 before a flight Oct. 4, 2009. The sortie was Capt. Peter J. Gryn's first combat mission. The U-2 is the primary source of high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Captain Gryn is deployed from Beale Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski)

by Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski, U.S. Air Force Central combat camera team

SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- Leaders at every level need battlefield information, and because of Airmen with the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron ... now they know.

With their RQ-4 Global Hawk and U-2 aircraft, the Airmen excel at providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for everyone from combatant commanders to troops on the ground.

According to Lt. Col. Kirt Stallings, the squadron commander, their mission is as much a tactical one as it is strategic. The pilots provide leaders with the knowledge they need to make more informed decisions about operations. But the pilots also communicate with joint terminal attack controllers embedded with Army and Marine units, as well as coalition partners.

"When a pilot is overhead, they can talk directly to troops so if guys on the ground need to know what's beyond that next ridge, we can let them know," said Colonel Stallings, a Houston native. "If a JTAC on the ground needs air support, a U-2 pilot can let them know what assets are available for that as well."

Both the U-2 and Global Hawk, deployed from Beale Air Force Base, Calif., have a plethora of sensors, but each aircraft is used in different ways. The U-2 flies above 70,000 feet so it's able to record both signals and still imagery intelligence over a larger area. But because the Global Hawk doesn't have an onboard pilot, it can stay overhead longer than the typical ten hour U-2 sorties.

"Global Hawks and U-2s complement each other," Colonel Stallings explained. "For example, if a U-2 pilot finds four different hot spots that need monitoring, they can reach out to other assets, like Global Hawks, to provide ISR needs. A U-2 is more capable, but a Global Hawk can remain on station after a U-2 has to turn back."

The Global Hawk pilots in theater are responsible for the takeoff and landing; operators back at Beale actually give it commands during most of its mission. Keeping the bulk of Global Hawk operations stateside means a smaller footprint at their deployed location, Maj. Scott Zeller said.

"Having some RQ-4 pilots in theater is a safety net to make sure launches and recoveries go smoothly," said Major Zeller, a Denver native. "Once the aircraft is in the air, we hand-off operations to the pilots back at Beale and they can fly it for the next 20 hours from there."

Unmanned aerial systems provide "an amazing capability" for coalition forces, Major Zeller said. Those capabilities will only get better in the future. The squadron is currently preparing for the newest version of the aircraft, which boasts a larger wingspan and upgraded sensors.

"The Global Hawk is the future of the high-altitude ISR mission," said New Jersey native Maj. Andrew McVicker, the 99th ERS director of operations. "But in the interim, nothing compares to what the U-2 can do. The most impressive thing about our community is that we've been flying the U-2 for more than 50 years and it's just as important today as ever -- it's the stalwart of the battlefield.

"Either way, ISR keeps commanders in the know," Major McVicker said, "and knowing is half the battle."

7th Space Warning Squadron successfully guides interceptor

by 1st Lt. Michael Trett and 1st Lt. Matt Innes, 7th Space Warning Squadron

7th Space Warning Squadron has a primary mission of missile warning, a corollary mission of missile defense, and secondary mission of space surveillance in support of space superiority. 7th SWS is a geographically separated unit of the 21st Space Wing at Peterson AFB, Colo. (U.S. Air Force Courtesy Photo)

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif -- The 7th Space Warning Squadron's Upgraded Early Warning Radar recently guided an interceptor to track and destroy a test missile 230 kilometers above the Earth's surface.

The missile was launched from the Kodiak launch complex in Alaska and flew over the Pacific while the UEWR tracked its every move by sending information to the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Fire Control and Communications element in Colorado Springs, Colo., Sept. 28.

"The missile warning and defense capability demonstrated by the 7th SWS and mission partners was a huge success displaying our ability to defend America," said Lt. Col. Joey Hinson, 21st Operations Group deputy commander.

Approximately 17 minutes after the missile was launched, military operators launched an interceptor toward the missile from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., which received live updates on the missile flight path from UEWR and other sensors. As the two objects flew closer, the interceptor released the final weapon, an exoatmospheric kill vehicle, which locked in on the target until it was destroyed.

"Now instead of just warning about incoming missiles, 7th SWS has the capability to cue interceptors to take out missiles before they reach the United States," said Lt. Col. Keith Skinner, 7th SWS commander.

7th SWS has a primary mission of missile warning, a corollary mission of missile defense, and secondary mission of space surveillance in support of space superiority. 7th SWS is a geographically separated unit of the 21st Space Wing at Peterson AFB, Colo.

The "Eyes to the West" team consists of U.S. Air Force, Canadian Air Force, government civilians, and BAE Systems contractors responsible for the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the radar.

UEWR was the primary sensor in a large complex mission involving about 1,000 government and contractor personnel and more than 50 assets worldwide.