A deployed EQ-4 Global Hawk, supporting the fight against ISIS, recently surpassed the milestone of 1,000 continuous sorties without a single maintenance cancellation. The Global Hawk, deployed with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, passed the milestone while on a surveillance mission on April 1. The aircraft used its battlefield airborne communications node to help coalition assets communicate as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, according to a Air Forces Central Command news release. The Global Hawks regularly fly 25-30 hour missions to meet the constant demand. “Hitting 1,000 in a row speaks to the importance of the BACN mission regarding its direct impact on the warfighter and I think that it says a lot about the stellar professionals filling the maintenance ranks from top to bottom,” said Maj. Rolly, a recent 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron director of operations, in the release.
There is a new entrant in the highly competitive field of collaborative combat aircraft—semi-autonomous drones meant to fly alongside manned combat aircraft. Northrop Grumman unveiled its new Project Talon aircraft to a small group of reporters at the facilities of its subsidiary Scaled Composites.
