Grand Forks AFB Airmen welcome Global Hawk

Airmen from Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., welcome the first RQ-4 Global Hawk to the base May 26, 2011. The arrival marked the beginning of a new era of remotely piloted aircraft at the base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Johnny Saldivar)

by Airman Derek VanHorn, 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. (AFNS) -- Airmen celebrated the arrival of the RQ-4 Global Hawk during a ceremony here June 1.

The ceremony highlighted the beginning of a new era of remotely piloted aircraft here.

"It is an honor to be here; what a great day for Grand Forks (Air Force Base) and North Dakota -- this is cutting edge technology," said Maj. Gen. Thomas K. Andersen, the director of requirements at Air Combat Command. "I'm sure this community will thoroughly enjoy the Global Hawk as a tenant unit on this base, and we're grateful for the support you continue to give our Airmen as we look forward to a very, very long relationship.

The RQ-4 Global Hawk is capable of providing government and military decision makers near real-time, high-altitude, long-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance imagery that can support a full spectrum of operations. Flying above ordinary commercial traffic, the aircraft can survey large geographic areas with pinpoint accuracy, without impacting civilian aircraft routes. The imagery provides the most current information available during contingency or crisis situations.

"This marks the next step in the long history of the Air Force and what we provide here at this base to the nation's defense: global vigilance," said Col. Don Shaffer, the 319th Air Base Wing commander.

Global Hawk turns sights on hurricanes

From Jim Wayner and the Florida Today website:

The Global Hawk, set to make its maiden voyage high above a hurricane this month, can stay aloft much longer than manned flights and fill vital data gaps that forecasters need to predict whether storms will strengthen into hurricanes.

Scientists liken the drone to a roving low-orbit satellite that will give unprecedented glimpses inside storms. It can fly about twice as high as a commercial airliner and scan an area the size of Illinois in only 24 hours.

"We can hardly hide our excitement," said Ramesh Kakar, a program scientist at NASA in Washington, D.C. "We can learn a lot from this sustained look."

While expensive -- the drone alone is about $35 million, not including support systems and payload -- researchers say Global Hawk should pay off in hurricane damage averted through earlier, more accurate warnings about storm intensity. That's considered the holy grail of hurricane research.

"Our forecasts of where the hurricane is going to go has improved significantly," said Scott Spratt, a National Weather Service forecaster in Melbourne. "But as far as the intensity, there's been very little improvement year to year."

The drone is among three NASA aircraft that will give real-time, sustained views of budding hurricanes. NASA is pumping $4 million this year into the project, called the Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP), and also plans to fund instrument development and data analysis later. About $1.3 million of this year's money is for the Global Hawk portion of the campaign.

Three additional aircraft from other federal agencies will fly hurricane missions as well, for as many as six planes probing a single storm at once.

Manned flights typically yield about four hours of data collection for a forming storm, the GRIP researchers said. But Global Hawk is fitted with 3-D radar, a microwave radiometer and other sophisticated instruments that enables them to gather data over tropical systems for up to 20 hours.

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.

Global Hawk collects reconnaissance data during Haiti relief efforts

An aerial view of the damaged Presidential Palace in Haiti from an Air Force Global Hawk unmanned aircraft Jan. 14. Aerial images are providing planners valuable situation awareness as they coordinate U.S. military support to the Haiti relief effort. (U.S. Air Force photo)

by Master Sgt. Russell P. Petcoff, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- An RQ-4 Global Hawk is providing imagery to determine the extent of damage to earthquake-stricken Haiti and usability of its infrastructure, an Air Force official said during a Department of Defense Bloggers Roundtable Jan. 15.

"A lot of images of destroyed buildings," said Col. Bradley G. Butz, the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing vice commander.

They are looking at images of airports to find airfields to land aircraft, he added. The image quality and clarity is good enough whether or not an airfield can accept aircraft.

"We've got pretty good coverage of the entire country of Haiti," Colonel Butz said.

The Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft with an integrated sensor suite that provides worldwide ISR capability.
The 480th ISR, based at Langley Air Force Base, Va., is providing its images to U.S. Southern Command officials for use by whomever needs the images, Colonel Butz said. The objective is mass distribution to people and organizations that need the images to support relief and recovery operations.

These images can help determine the level of destruction since aerial images of Haiti exist from June 2009. Comparing the June 2009 and the January 2010 can give an indication of the extent of the disaster.

Without context "we just don't know the impact," the colonel said.

An aerial view of the damaged National Cathedral in Haiti from an Air Force Global Hawk unmanned aircraft Jan. 14. (U.S. Air Force photo)

In addition, the Global Hawk provides assistance to Soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division who are deploying to Haiti. The Global Hawk is providing images of where the Soldiers are deploying to help them prepare for their mission, Colonel Butz said.

The Global Hawk flew 14 hours Jan. 14, providing between 400 to 700 images, the colonel said. It is flying daily out of Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. The colonel said the Global Hawk will continue providing Haitian overflight support as long as the president requests.

This is the first use of the Global Hawk in a disaster relief mission in the Caribbean, according to the colonel.

An aerial view of earthquake victims gathering in a soccer field in Haiti from an Air Force Global Hawk unmanned aircraft Jan. 14. (U.S. Air Force photo)

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.

Navy, Air Force Work Together with Global Hawk Program

By Staff Sgt. Mike Andriacco, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA (NNS) -- The joint mission of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing expanded with the recent addition of the first operational Navy Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system, part of the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS)program.

"It's a good feeling to finally get the aircraft here," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. John McLellan, the BAMS maintenance detachment officer-in-charge. "Now that we have the launch and recovery element and mission asset, we can finally bring this capability to the fight."

The BAMS is launched and recovered locally but controlled from the mission control element, or MCE, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., much like the Air Force Global Hawk, which is controlled from Beale Air Force Base, Calif.

In an Air Force-developed concept of operations called remote-split operations, the BAMS' arrival marks the culmination of more than five months of joint effort to stand up a maritime surveillance presence in the region.

Navy officials answered a Department of Defense call for increased intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets in Southwest Asia, by sending a site survey team here in August to see if the facilities of the 380th AEW could support an added mission and to discuss joint interoperability.

After the evaluation by 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Group personnel, it was determined they could support adding the BAMS with shared use of maintenance equipment and facilities, according to Lt. Col. Matt Venzke, 380th EMXG deputy commander. This allows Navy officials to cut down their overall footprint, resulting in lower operating costs and fewer people needed, he said.

"The cooperation has really been there," Venzke said. "We've worked very well together to identify potential problems and de-conflict our work spaces to make sure everything is happening efficiently for both maintenance teams."

The sentiment is echoed by Navy personnel who arrived on station approximately one month ago and began integrating into the 380th.

"The support has been outstanding," said McLellan. "We have really been made to feel at home and a part of the team."

The Navy and the Air Force benefit from co-locating Global Hawk operations.

"The similarities between the Air Force and Navy Global Hawk [launch and recovery elements] provide enhanced mission capability by allowing each service to use the other's LRE as a back-up in the event of a malfunction", said Col. Kyle Garland, 380th Expeditionary Operations Group commander.

Navy personnel leverage Air Force expertise and proficiency with the Global Hawk platform to step into a program that has been proven in an operational environment, virtually eliminating the learning curve that usually comes with a new program, said Maj. Ronald Shivers, 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron director of operations and safety observer for the arrival of the BAMS.

Operators during the BAMS development phase consisted of contractors and pilots from both the Air Force and Navy. In addition to controlling the aircraft at the forward operating location, Air Force instructors will train naval aviators. The first two scheduled are to take flight control at the MCE sometime in March, said Shivers.

Experts in the two services have been able to come together to develop a process that will ensure differences in operational and maintenance rules and standards are identified and resolved quickly.

"In areas [of maintenance] where we overlap, the BAMS maintenance personnel will adhere to the more stringent standard required by either service," said Venzke.

Though it is the first operational mission for the BAMS, the aircraft has been in service for non-wartime missions during its test and development phase.

"Our Global Hawk has been used to view damaged areas during the California wildfires as well as providing live feedback of the destruction on the Gulf Coast immediately after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike," said McLellan.

The speed at which the Air Force and Navy were able to stand up the new operational capability with minimal difficulties is an example of joint operations at their best, officials said.

380th AEW mission expands with Navy Global Hawk program

by Staff Sgt. Mike Andriacco, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

Personnel from the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance maintenance detachment tend to a Navy Global Hawk unmanned aircraft that arrived at this airbase in Southwest Asia from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. This is the first operational deployment for the BAMS aircraft after its test and development phase. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Mike Andriacco)

SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- The joint mission of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing expanded with the recent addition of the first operational Navy Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system, part of the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance program.

"It's a good feeling to finally get the aircraft here," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. John McLellan, the BAMS maintenance detachment officer-in-charge. "Now that we have the launch and recovery element and mission asset, we can finally bring this capability to the fight."

The BAMS is launched and recovered locally but controlled from the mission control element, or MCE, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., much like the Air Force Global Hawk, which is controlled from Beale Air Force Base, Calif.

In an Air Force-developed concept of operations called remote-split operations, the BAMS' arrival marks the culmination of more than five months of joint effort to stand up a maritime surveillance presence in the region.

Navy officials answered a Department of Defense call for increased intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets in Southwest Asia, by sending a site survey team here in August to see if the facilities of the 380th AEW could support an added mission and to discuss joint interoperability.

After the evaluation by 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Group personnel, it was determined they could support adding the BAMS with shared use of maintenance equipment and facilities, according to Lt. Col. Matt Venzke, 380th EMXG deputy commander. This allows Navy officials to cut down their overall footprint, resulting in lower operating costs and fewer people needed, he said.

"The cooperation has really been there," Colonel Venske said. "We've worked very well together to identify potential problems and de-conflict our work spaces to make sure everything is happening efficiently for both maintenance teams."

The sentiment is echoed by Navy personnel who arrived on station approximately one month ago and began integrating into the 380th.

"The support has been outstanding," said Commander McLellan. "We have really been made to feel at home and a part of the team."

The Navy and the Air Force benefit from co-locating Global Hawk operations.

"The similarities between the Air Force and Navy Global Hawk (launch and recovery elements) provide enhanced mission capability by allowing each service to use the other's LRE as a back-up in the event of a malfunction", said Col. Kyle Garland, 380th Expeditionary Operations Group commander.

Navy personnel leverage Air Force expertise and proficiency with the Global Hawk platform to step into a program that has been proven in an operational environment, virtually eliminating the learning curve that usually comes with a new program, said Maj. Ronald Shivers, 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron director of operations and safety observer for the arrival of the BAMS.

Operators during the BAMS development phase consisted of contractors and pilots from both the Air Force and Navy. In addition to controlling the aircraft at the forward operating location, Air Force instructors will train naval aviators. The first two scheduled are to take flight control at the MCE sometime in March, said Major Shivers.

Experts in the two services have been able to come together to develop a process that will ensure differences in operational and maintenance rules and standards are identified and resolved quickly.

"In areas (of maintenance) where we overlap, the BAMS maintenance personnel will adhere to the more stringent standard required by either service," said Colonel Venzke.

Though it is the first operational mission for the BAMS, the aircraft has been in service for non-wartime missions during its test and development phase.

"Our Global Hawk has been used to view damaged areas during the California wildfires as well as providing live feedback of the destruction on the Gulf Coast immediately after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike," said Commander McLellan.

The speed at which the Air Force and Navy were able to stand up the new operational capability with minimal difficulties is an example of joint operations at their best, officials said.

Beale Global Hawk deploys for first time

by 2nd Lt. Ashley Peltier
9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs
A flightline ground crew secures the Global Hawk for towing to a secure hangar July 19 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The aircraft has a wing span of 116 feet and is designed to cruise at extremely high altitudes. This marked the first time a Global Hawk deployed in support from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Miranda Moorer)

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- The 9th Reconnaissance Wing's RQ-4 Global Hawk program passed a significant milestone by completing its first operational Global Hawk deployment July 19 from Beale Air Force Base to Andersen AFB, Guam.

"This is the first time in United States Air Force history that we've deployed the Global Hawk aircraft, personnel and support equipment directly from Beale in support of a combatant commander tasking," said Lt. Col. Chad Clifton, the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander.

Previous Global Hawk deployments were flown out of Edwards AFB, Calif., with a combined effort from pilots of both Edwards and Beale Air Force bases.

The flight also marks the first Global Hawk landing at Andersen AFB, where the Global Hawk is scheduled to be stationed permanently starting in 2009.

The deployment symbolically represents the first step in stabilizing unmanned aircraft in national and international air space, base officials said. This operational mission required Beale AFB Airmen to set up the launch and recovery element, and all additional infrastructures to receive the aircraft at Andersen AFB.

"We have stabilized our training operations at Beale and are now stepping out to show that we can safely self-deploy the Global Hawk around the world," said Lt. Col. J. Scott Winstead, the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron commander.

To make the long trip and land safely, many obstacles had to be overcome by maintenance and operations members.

"The primary challenge from the operations side was software and weather," Colonel Winstead said. "We had to delay the initial deployment a week to allow a typhoon to move through the Guam area, and the software used to fly the Global Hawk is new and requires different training for the pilots."

To overcome these obstacles, a massive training effort was launched by the 12th and 18th Reconnaissance Squadrons from Beale AFB. With the operations side addressed, maintenance professionals were facing their own equally demanding obstacles.

Maintenance crews at Beale AFB had to focus on efficient trouble-shooting and problem correction to launch the aircraft in a 45-minute window.

"We were dealing with so many firsts," said Maj. Alan Rabb, the 18th Reconnaissance Squadron chief of current operations and en route team commander. "Our first hurdle was to get (to Andersen) and get set up, which alone, proved to be a bit of a challenge."

Once they arrived at Andersen AFB, the en route team of Beale AFB maintainers set up the launch and recovery element, initiating satellite connectivity, performing link checks and trouble-shooting possible risks; all necessary to receive the Global Hawk.

"Maintenance leadership is extremely proud of every maintainer whose hard work and teamwork really made this operational mission happen," Colonel Clifton said.

"Teamwork is truly the backbone of Global Hawk operations," Major Rabb said.

This mission demonstrated the tremendous range and capabilities the Global Hawk brings to the fight.

"This deployment really shows the incredible global reach of the aircraft as the 16-hour leg from Beale to Guam was only slightly over half of the 30-hour capability," Colonel Winstead said.

"The lessons learned here are critical to the future deployment capability of the Global Hawk," said Col. Jon Engle, the 9th Operations Group commander.