The 412th Test Wing at Edwards AFB, Calif., will conduct the flight testing and envelope expansion of NATO’s first Alliance Ground Surveillance program RQ-4B Global Hawk, officials announced. Northrop Grumman unveiled NATO 1, the first of five Global Hawks slated for delivery to the Alliance, earlier this month in Palmdale, Calif. The aircraft is based on the Air Force’s Block? 40 ground-moving, target-tracking variant equipped with the MP-RTIP sensor suite. NATO 1 will likely be transferred to Edwards this summer to begin testing, after which it will be delivered to its planned operational location at Sigonella AB, Italy, in early 2016. A total of 15 NATO member states are taking part in AGS procurement, manufacture, and delivery, and all 28 partners will contribute to AGS operations.
Now Enlisted Airmen Can Stay in Uniform Longer
Dec. 8, 2023
The Air Force is extending the amount of time Airmen can spend at most enlisted ranks by two years, as the service looks to combat sluggish recruiting and balance its force structure. The High Year of Tenure (HYT) program sets limits on how long service members can spend in each grade…