The Air Force designated Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft as the platform with the best safety record in 2013, announced company officials this week. Paul Brophy, Northrop Grumman’s forward operating location site manager at Andersen AB, Guam, received the Commander’s Flight Safety Award from Brig. Gen. Steven Garland, commander of the 36th Wing at Andersen, on Nov. 18, 2013. “Winning this award reflects the commitment of our partnership with the Air Force to always put safety and performance first when flying Global Hawk,” said Brophy. “Continually improving our safety programs is clearly a ‘win-win’ proposition for the company and the Air Force.” Det. 1 of the 69th Reconnaissance Group from Grand Forks, N.D., also contributed to the designation by maintaining “exceptional vigilance” and garnering a “perfect safety record” during Global Hawk operations, states the Jan. 13 release.
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.