Global Hawk nears U-2 sensor tests
The US Air Force (USAF) and Northrop Grumman will begin flight trials of new sensor payloads for the RQ-4 Global Hawk later this month, officials have confirmed to Shephard.
Starting at the end of February, the flight trials will be a key part of the USAF’s proposals to boost the ISR capabilities of the Global Hawk and eventually have the unmanned aircraft take over the role of the manned U-2S Dragon Lady later this decade.
The current plan is for Lockheed Martin’s U-2S to retire in 2019 and its high-performance sensors – the SYERS-2 long-range imaging sensor and optical bar
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