RQ-4B Global Hawk
PALMDALE, Calif. — The first production version of the new RQ-4 Block 20 Global Hawk unmanned aerial reconnaissance system was unveiled Aug. 25 in Palmdale, Calif. The Global Hawk program is managed by the 303rd Aeronautical Systems Group at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The Northrop Grumman-built Block 20 RQ-4 represents a significant increase in capability over the Block 10 configuration—it carries up to 3,000 pounds of internal payload and operates with two-and-a-half times the power of its predecessor. The new RQ-4 was flight tested at Edwards AFB, Calif., and will be delivered to the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale AFB, Calif. It is the 17th Global Hawk air vehicle to be built.
Photo source: US Air Force
