Northrop Grumman successfully delivered the first of three RQ-4B Global Hawks from Japan on a nonstop trans-Pacific flight. The plane took off from Palmdale, Calif., on Thursday, March 10, and landed at Misawa Air Force Base in Misawa, Japan, 18.7 hours later, on March 12.
“The arrival of the first Japan Global Hawk is a major milestone in the development of this critical safety asset,” said Jane Bishop, vice president and general manager of global surveillance at Northrop Grumman.
“The Autonomous Global Hawk will provide the Japan Air Self-Defense Force with sustained high-altitude surveillance of the Indo-Pacific region. The Global Hawk’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities will provide invaluable support for Japan’s national security and the security of its allies in the region.”
The RQ-4B Global Hawk is a large high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with mission-specific sensors to meet critical ISR requirements. This capability will change the way allies monitor threats and deliver humanitarian assistance and disaster response day and night. Combined with other Japanese intelligence assets, advanced drones will provide solutions to monitor and deter regional threats, contributing to Japan’s national security.
Northrop Grumman’s family of autonomous HALE systems, including the Global Hawk, are key components of the networked, global ISR collection of allies around the world. ISR data enables policymakers to take timely action to deter aggression and respond to emerging threats. Japan, with its Global Hawk fleet, will be part of a growing number of allies using HALE drones. The United States, Australia, NATO and South Korea will all use this important national security asset.
Northrop Grumman is a technology company focused on global security and human discovery. Our groundbreaking solutions provide our clients with the capabilities they need to connect, advance and protect the United States and its allies. Driven by a shared goal of solving our customers’ toughest problems, our 90,000 employees define what’s possible every day.
