Beale Crew Flies Hawk:

Nov. 27, 2006

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Officials at Beale AFB, Calif., say the base has flown its first operational Air Combat Command flight with one of the two RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle’s now assigned to the California base. It was “the first of many training missions designed to prepare our crews for missions over Iraq and Afghanistan and worldwide in the global war on terror,” said Brig. Gen. H.D. Polumbo Jr., commander of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale. The base received its first operational RQ-4 in 2004 and the second earlier this month.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Trending Stories

F-15E Aviator Missing in Iran Rescued by US Forces

Pentagon Plans Major Boost in Spending and Research on Mass-Producing Munitions

F-15E Downed over Iran, A-10 Crashes in Region

Nation’s Top Airmen Honor Bud Anderson as Legendary WWII Triple Ace Buried at Arlington

Related

F-15E Aviator Missing in Iran Rescued by US Forces

April 5, 2026
The second crew member of the Air Force F-15E shot down April 3 has been rescued from Iran. U.S. forces recovered the aviator alive and all American forces involved in the operation are believed to be safe, U.S. officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

Pentagon Plans Major Boost in Spending and Research on Mass-Producing Munitions

April 3, 2026
The Pentagon's research labs are ramping up their search for munitions that can be mass-produced—an effort likely to be buoyed by billions of dollars in the department's new fiscal 2027 budget request and tens of billions in the upcoming years. While the topline information shared about the President’s defense budget…

F-15E Downed over Iran, A-10 Crashes in Region

April 3, 2026
A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran, sparking a massive combat search and rescue effort April 3, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine. Meanwhile, a U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft was also lost in the Persian Gulf…

B-52s Carrying JDAMs over Iran as US Bombers Play Growing Role in Air War

April 2, 2026
B-52 Stratofortress bombers marked a new first in Operation Epic Fury when some of the BUFFs flew over Iran carrying JDAM-guided gravity bombs, according to people familiar with the matter. The development signals a weakening of Iranian air defenses and a new use for the venerable bomber in the nearly…

Space Force to Create Futures-Like Group on HQ Staff

April 2, 2026
The Space Force plans to establish a new headquarters staff group focused on force design and analysis that will oversee and guide a number of future-oriented organizations, including the Space Warfighting Analysis Center and the Chief Science Officer. 

What Options Does the Air Force Have for E-3 Taken Out by Iran?

April 2, 2026
When an E-3 Sentry battle management aircraft was damaged in an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, it sparked a host of questions about one of the Air Force’s oldest, smallest, but most critical fleets. Experts say the service doesn’t have many options to answer those questions.