A high-flying prototype
“Airman” is heading home after being deployed more than
four years and flying 4,245 hours supporting Operation Iraqi
Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and the Combined Task
Force-Horn of Africa.
Global Hawk Air Vehicle No. 3 began its journey back home at
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Feb. 10, and is expected to land
there Feb. 16.
This unmanned aerial vehicle, AV-3, first deployed as a
prototype during the build-up for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2002.
It returned to Edwards for a couple of months and then was recalled
by U.S. Central Command to help in the fight against terrorism.
Production Global Hawks arrived in theater in January and pilots
and operators consider them to be remarkable aircraft.
“To know it was a technology demonstrator and then to
(see) it sent into war is amazing,” said Lt. Col. Thomas
Buckner, 12th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron director of
operations. He was at the controls the day the AV-3 began its trip
back to the United States. According to Colonel Buckner, the
airframe had a “charmed life” with 18 lives, doubling
that of a cat.
“There were a few times we could’ve lost the
aircraft,” Colonel Buckner said. Once there was a lucky bump
on the taxiway that caused its wing to be raised over a sign it
would have otherwise sideswiped. It also survived an engine
failure.
That charmed life meant a lot of extra airtime surveying large
geographic areas with pinpoint accuracy, giving military
decision-makers the most current information about enemy
locations.
The AV-3 flew two-thirds of the Global Hawk missions for
Operation Enduring Freedom and nearly all the combat missions. AV-3
was considered a workhorse and has created a high benchmark for
other Global Hawks to reach.
“Global Hawks are in huge demand by combatant
commanders,” Colonel Buckner said. “We’re able to
respond and be flexible for the users on the ground.”
During a typical mission, the aircraft can fly 1,200 miles to an
area of interest and remain on station for 24 hours. Its
cloud-penetrating sensors can image an area the size of Illinois
(40,000 nautical square miles) in 24 hours. Through satellite and
ground systems, the imagery can be relayed in near real-time to
battlefield commanders.
With production aircraft available, Lt. Col. Martin Fass, 12th
Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron commander, knows demand for
its services will increase. Colonel Fass said that AV-3 brought an
unprecedented combination of abilities to the fight and he expects
more to come as the system matures.
“That is the reliability and the technology advantage
Global Hawk brings each and every time,” Colonel Fass said.
“This is the only aircraft in the world that can loiter over
a target area for 24 hours while responding to dynamic re-taskings.
Our reachback concept allows aircrews to ’fly’ from
home station, reducing our overseas footprint, deployment tempo and
risk to the crews.”
“AV-3’s contribution to the global war on terrorism
is a lasting testament to the skills and dedication of those who
conceived, developed and operated this remarkable system,”
Colonel Fass said. [ANN Thanks Tech. Sgt. Andrew Leonhard, 380th
Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs]