They have been in the Southwest Asia theater only since January, but the first two production Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles already have flown 50 missions totaling more than 1,000 combat hours, Northrop Grumman said June 5. The two UAVs feature improved sensor capabilities over development versions, which amassed more than 5,000 combat hours over Afghanistan and Iraq.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
