U.S. deploys news Global Hawks to Iraq

United Press International - Security & Terrorism - U.S. deploys news Global Hawks to Iraq: "U.S. deploys news Global Hawks to Iraq

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- The first production models of the RQ-4A unmanned aerial vehicle have reported for duty in Iraq where they will be used in surveillance missions.

A pair of the Global Hawks built in California by Northrop Grumman were shipped to Iraq by the Air Force earlier this month and put through some final test flights before beginning real-world operations.

The RQ-4A is designed to provide ground commanders with high-resolution aerial photographs in nearly real time while at the same time remaining in the air for extended periods of time.

Global Hawk can loiter over an assigned area for more than a day or can be re-tasked to gather information over hot spots at a moment's notice,' said Northrop Grumman Vice President Jerry Madigan. 'Once the Global Hawk is over the specific area, commanders can view problem areas quickly and make crucial decisions within minutes.'

The aerospace company said the Global Hawk's single-mission range amounts to 40,000 square-miles, an area about the size of Illinois. It cruises at an altitude of 60,000 feet where it is above inclement weather and cannot be seen from the ground.

Global Hawk demonstrators have seen service in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The UAVs that are newly arrived in the Gulf are the first production models to come off the assembly line."