Northrop Grumman has firm or very likely orders for more than 150 of its Global Hawk remotely piloted reconnaissance aircraft, according to George Guerra, company vice president for high-altitude, long-endurance systems. Briefing reporters Tuesday in Washington, D.C., Guerra said the Air Force now has an approved requirement for 77 RQ-4 Global Hawks and the Navy intends to buy 68 Global Hawk-based Broad Area Maritime Surveillance aircraft. Plus, there is a NATO requirement for eight Alliance Ground Surveillance unmanned aircraft systems, and Germany already has one Eurohawk and a likely requirement for four more, he said. Beyond that, Australia is a possible Global Hawk customer, as are “various Pac Rim countries,” although not Taiwan, said Guerra. He noted that the Air Force is logging about 9,300 Global Hawk hours a year now, but that annual figure is expected to climb to 64,000 hours by 2015.
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.