The Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40 unmanned aerial vehicle (designated AF-18) makes its first flight, flying for about two hours from Northrop Grumman’s production facility in Palmdale, Calif., to Edwards AFB, Calif. The Block 40 version will carry the MP-RTIP (multi-platform radar technology insertion program) all-weather radar sensor that Northrop and Raytheon are developing for enhanced detection and tracking of moving ground targets.
As the Space Force prepares to field new fleets of satellites that can track moving targets in the air and on the ground, it’s working to ensure it has the organizational structures in place to onboard and operate those systems.
