USAF’s RQ-4 Global Hawk has flown six missions—about 130 hours—and provided more than 3,600 images to support relief operations in earthquake-devastated Haiti, states a Northrop Grumman Feb. 12 release. According to Northrop, on the day after the Jan. 12 earthquake, the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron at Beale AFB, Calif., diverted an RQ-4 bound for Afghanistan to Haiti, where it flew for 12 hours before landing at NAS Patuxent River, Md. Since then, the RQ-4 has flown 14- to 16-hour missions out of Pax River. “Not only has Global Hawk helped determine the extent of damages and usability of Haiti’s infrastructure, it has also helped to find and recommend roadways and airfields accessible for delivering emergency supplies and rescuing injured and trapped people,” said George Guerra, Northrop’s VP of high-altitude, long-endurance systems. (USAF’s high-flying U-2 reconnaissance aircraft also has supported Haiti operations.) (Also see earlier DR earthquake coverage, Aid to Haiti Ramps Up)
Navy CCA Program’s Shape Coming into Focus
Oct. 17, 2025
In announcing its Navy Collaborative Combat Aircraft contract, General Atomics has provided some clues as to where the service is heading with its version of an armed, autonomous fighter escort. It will likely be quite different from the Air Force version.
