The RQ-4 Glo
bal Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle operators and friends at Beale AFB, Calif., have flown an overnight, 21-hour, local RQ-4 mission, reports A1C Robert Biermann. This past summer Beale airmen completed their first operational Global Hawk mission from the California base. And, just last week the Beale team flew an RQ-4 to aid those battling the California wildfires. The long-duration local flight enabled the Beale team to “validate the performance” of new software that now is available for operational use, said Lt. Col. David Anderson, commander of the 53rd Test and Evaluation Group’s Det. 2 at Beale.
The U.S. military conducted strikes on Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz on May 7, as the conflict with Iran flared up again—though officials say the ceasefire remains in effect.