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)
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
