Global Hawk Begins EADS Sensor Testing

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.

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