Air Force officials last week unveiled a RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance aircraft at Andersen AFB, Guam. The aircraft displayed is one of the three that are slated to call the Pacific base a permanent home starting next summer, Guam’s KUAM TV news network reported Aug,. 7. “By operating out of Guam, we have a strategic advantage in being able to get to an area of concern very rapidly and then staying over that area for a good amount of time to prosecute our mission,” said Lt. Col. Brandon Baker, who will command the Global Hawks, at the ceremony. In June, Andersen officials opened the new, massive hangar that will house the base’s Global Hawks. (For more, read Guam’s Pacific Daily News report from Aug. 8.)
A semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone shot down an air-to-air target in a Dec. 8 test supported by the U.S. Air Force, a notable milestone in the development of the loyal wingman-type drones that will join the fleets of the USAF, other American services, and allies and adversaries.
