SAN DIEGO, Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Two U.S. Air
Force and U.S. Navy unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in Northrop
Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) high altitude long endurance
(HALE) series safely surpassed 100,000 combat/operational support
hours.
A photo accompanying this release is available at
http://media.globenewswire.com/noc/mediagallery.html?pkgid=27320.
The Air Force Global Hawk fleet logged more than 88 percent of
the global intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)
information-gathering and airborne communications missions. The
Navy's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstrator flew the
remaining hours. Combat/operational support hours are tallied
separate from noncombat support hours – the UAS surpassed 100,000
total hours in September 2013.
"Global Hawk has continuously and successfully supported
overseas contingency operations since its first deployment to
Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks," said Jim Culmo, vice president, HALE Enterprise,
Northrop Grumman. "Operating 11 miles above danger zones, Global
Hawk is a strategic airborne asset with unprecedented endurance,
range and persistence providing decision makers near real-time
information from around the world."
The aircrafts' ISR missions support six combatant commands and
have included contingency missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya
and Nigeria. Global Hawk variants
carry a variety of ISR sensor payloads that allow military
commanders to gather near real-time imagery and use radar to detect
moving or stationary targets on the ground. The system also
provides airborne communications capabilities to military units in
harsh environments.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing
innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems,
cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and
commercial customers worldwide. Please visit
www.northropgrumman.com for more information.
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SOURCE Northrop Grumman Corporation