A Northrop-Grumman built RQ-4A Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) landed
in Germany October 15th to carry out a series of
flight
tests in support of German Ministry of Defense requirements.
The US Air Force Global Hawk aircraft has been equipped with an EADS-produced
Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) sensor. The Global Hawk landed at German Navy's
Nordholz Air Base, near Cuxhaven, after taking off from Edwards Air Force Base,
California. From the United States to Germany the aircraft spent about 21 hours.
A test team consisting of EADS, Norhtrop-Grumman and the US Air Force will
demonstrate concept feasibility of a Global Hawk-based High Altitude, Long
Endurance (HALE) Wide Area Surveillance (WAS) platform, over the next three
weeks.
Eventually the German Ministry of Defense could develop and produce a Global
Hawk HALE WAS platform, also known as Euro Hawk.
According to Northrop-Grumman, the Euro Hawk would be a RQ-4B Global Hawk UAV
carrying an EADS developed and produced ELINT sensor package. Euro Hawk could
replace manned platforms in the Electronic Intelligence role such as Tornado
ECRs currently deployed within the German Air Force.
The Euro Hawk project started in July 2000 as an industrial initiative between
Northrop-Grumman and EADS. It was approved by German and US authorities in
October 2001.
Source:
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