Aircraft

Northrop's Block 20 Global Hawk arrives at Beale AFB

By Rob Coppinger

The latest upgrade of the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, the Block 20, was delivered to the US Air Force's 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale AFB, California on 30 June.

The Block 20 unmanned air vehicle has a bigger airframe and a wider wingspan at almost 40m (130ft), compared with the USAF's existing Block 10 examples, which have a 35m wing. Seven Block 10 aircraft are already assigned to Beale.

"The Block 20 has [another] generator, which increases payload capacity from 2,000lb [907kg] to 3,000lb and provides up to a 150% increase in power over the Block 10," says 9th Aircraft Maintenance Sqn specialist section chief Master Sgt Paul Brophy. "The wing expansion along with [the generator] improves the payload capacity, lift and flight characteristics."

© US Air Force

Block 10 UAVs have a basic sensor suite with electro-optical/infrared sensor and synthetic aperture radar payloads, plus limited signals intelligence capabilities. The new aircraft configuration (pictured above) introduces enhanced EO/IR and SAR sensors, plus extended-range SIGINT.

Northrop will also produce Block 30 and Block 40 models of the Global Hawk, which are scheduled to be fielded in 2011. These versions are to have "more robust multi-intelligence systems", the company says.