Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk – Photos & Video

The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is an unmanned (UAV) surveillance aircraft. It was initially designed by Ryan Aeronautical (now part of Northrop Grumman), and known as Tier II+ during development. The Global Hawk performs a similar role as the Lockheed U-2. The RQ-4 provides a broad overview and systematic surveillance using high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and long-range electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors with long loiter times over target areas. It can survey as much as 40,000 square miles (100,000 km2) of terrain a day.

Source: Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk on Wikipedia

The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The Global Hawk can fly for over 30 hours at altitudes of up to 60,000 feet, covering more than 40,000 square kilometers of terrain in a single sortie.
The Global Hawk carries a variety of sensors, including electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR), synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and signals intelligence (SIGINT) payloads, providing near-real-time imagery and data to commanders and analysts. The Global Hawk is operated by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, and several allied nations, such as Australia, Japan, and NATO. The Global Hawk has been deployed in various operations and contingencies around the world, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and the Asia-Pacific region.