Global Hawk

[h25b]

Can someone fill me in on the operational status of this aircraft and what the impressions of its performance is so far...

 

[Skeet Shooter]

Sounds like you're trying to poke into classified territory...

 

[Hogprint]

Popular Mech and Av and space tech have all the unclassified gouge.

 

[h25b]

Good gravy people, I'm not asking you to fax me wiring schematics... Just a few general thoughts.

For example...
1. Is the thing working or falling out of the sky ???
2. Is it being used in theatre or still in testing phases ???
3. Any plans on arming it like the predator ???

 

[Herculeus]

According to everybody in the AF its going to replace fighters.

 

[Jafar]

Well I'm in the Air Force and I'm not saying it's going to replace fighters. In fact, I've yet to meet anyone in the Air Force who has made such a statement.

It's a recon platform that provides realtime imaging of various types.

Here: http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=175

 

[psysicx]

Go to baseops.net and post that reply and then duck.

 

[Huggyu2]

Depends who you talk to. However, it is running up a huge bill, and is still not "delivering the goods". It does have some good imagery capability, but no SIGINT. It sounds like the airframe is lacking capability. It can't haul enough payload, and the electrical system can't pump out any more to allow the addition of other sensors. Again, this is second hand info; I'm not very smart on GH. I believe that Northrop Grumman is not hiring anyone at this time for GH: seems like a good indication that there are problems when the system should be growing.

 

[Birdstrike]

Well I'm in the Air Force and I'm not saying it's going to replace fighters. In fact, I've yet to meet anyone in the Air Force who has made such a statement.

It's a recon platform that provides realtime imaging of various types.

Here: http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=175

What's the down the road view, though? I thought these things would eventually be able to pull enough G's that would kill a human and that, along with the diminished potential of a captured pilot, would make their entry inevitable. Is a manned fighter eventually going to be extinct?

 

[Skeet Shooter]

Reference HuggyU2's message. We work (although loosely) with the GH folks and we can say that it's "just" a reconnaissance platform and it has years to go before it is as capable as other high altitude recon platforms that are out there. Having said that - Yes, it is contributing to the Global War on Terror.

You guys are mentioning pulling G's, shooting guns/missiles, and engaging in ACM. No way - that's not what it's designed for. Perhaps some OTHER unmanned vehicle will be designed to do this in coming decades, but not the GH. Just try to keep the GH seperate in your mind from other "SciFi" unmanned aerial vehicles.

 

[psysicx]

Whats scary is there already shooting missles off of them.Huggy do you think that they will ever replace the U-2.

 

[Birdstrike]

You guys are mentioning pulling G's, shooting guns/missiles, and engaging in ACM. No way - that's not what it's designed for. Perhaps some OTHER unmanned vehicle will be designed to do this in coming decades...

I hear ya reference Hawk, but I'm guessing the latest unmanned fighter platforms are already flying under a black budget and are much closer to fielding than decades....

 

[Jafar]

http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/x-45-ucav/

That is a lot closer to being a fighter than GH is. X-45 is a weapons delivery platform. As has been stated, GH is a recon and realtime imaging platform. Something tells me we aren't going to see Global Hawks with slammers and JDAM's hanging off the wings, zooming around blowing up Iranian nuke facilities and shooting down North Korean MiG's anytime soon.

That being said, this X-45 program (as well as others) is cultivating unmanned aerial combat technology. So it's coming, yes. It's all pretty primitive at this stage in my opinion. I think we can all agree that the last fighter pilot hasn't even been born yet.

 

[Huggyu2]

Whats scary is there already shooting missles off of them.Huggy do you think that they will ever replace the U-2.

No, they are not shooting missiles off of GH.
No, it will not replace the U-2. Someday, the U-2 will go away. However, GH will not be able to replace it.