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RQ-4
Global Hawk UAV returned
from Iraq on May 7,2007 under its own power.
(Iraq to Edwards AFB in CA) - Not transported via C5 or C17. Notice the
mission paintings on the fuselage. It's actually over 250 missions.
That's a long way for a remotely-piloted aircraft. Think of the
technology (and the required quality of the data link to fly it
remotely). Not only that, but the pilot controlled it from a nice warm
control panel at Edwards AFB. It has really long legs - - -it can stay
up for almost 2 days at altitudes above 60k.
Most people have no idea what
stealth brings to the battle.
Basically, they come into the fight at a high mach thrust, start
killing people way out with AMRAAMS, and continue doing that until
everyone is dead, and no one ever sees them or paints them on radar.
There is practically no radio chatter because all the guys in the
flight are tied together electronically at Edwards AFB, and can see who
is targeting who, and they have AWACS direct input and 360 situational
awareness from that and other sensors.
Remember that when Global Hawk is on a killing mission in Iraq or Afghanistan, the "pilot" is sitting at a console at Edwards AFB in CA. |
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