The first RQ-4 landed at Robins AFB, Ga., marking the first time the Global Hawk has flown to Air Force Air Logistics Complex, according to a May 24 base release. Robins crews will provide an organic paint to the remotely piloted aircraft, which helps prevent corrosion and deterioration. “While a programmed depot maintenance requirement for Global Hawk has not been established, the Air Force recognizes that having organic maintenance capability improves panning flexibility and is a force multiplier,” states the release. “This first-ever Global Hawk depaint/paint operation at Robins will both prove this capability and offer a valuable training opportunity to this highly skilled workforce.”
Lockheed Martin projects more than a billion dollars of losses on a classified program, but company officials said April 23 they are confident it will turn profitable by 2028 and become a "franchise" system in the U.S. military.