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.
A new report from the Government Accountability Office calls for the Pentagon’s Chief Technology Officer to have budget certification authority over the military services’ research and development accounts—a move the services say would add a burdensome and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
