...Airspace

The U.S. Air Force’s Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle completed the first of five planned technical flight tests at Nordholz, Germany on Tuesday. The three weeks of tests are scheduled to demonstrate interoperability between U.S. Air Force and German Ministry of Defense unmanned aerial vehicle systems.

The Global Hawk, equipped with a German electronic-intelligence sensor, flew for about four hours and 40 minutes, according to Tom Moss, U.S. Air Force Global Hawk deployment test lead.

"This first mission focused on testing the integration and compatibility of the sensor and Global Hawk. It also evaluated the sensor’s performance in identifying a variety of electronic emissions," Moss said.

Planned to last eight hours, the mission was terminated early by the ground crew because of sensor-data link connectivity problems. Moss said the team is investigating.

Since the Global Hawk arrived in Germany on October 15, the team loaded a German sensor and conducted a series of engine runs and taxi tests, Moss said.

Other missions will involve further development and integration of the German sensor, and detection of land-based electronic signals intelligence emitters

The team is scheduled to fly itself back to Edwards Air Force Base (CA), on November 6.

[Thanks to Sue Baker, Aeronautical Systems Center Public Affairs --ed.]

FMI: www.af.mil