In September 2002, Vought was selected by Northrop Grumman to build an enhanced wing for the RQ-4 Block 20 Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance system. Vought employees in Dallas and Milledgeville have completed fabrication and assembly of 14 production wings of the new configuration. Follow-on production effort is authorized for Vought through March 2010.
Vought’s Test Lab in Dallas completed the testing of the “ultimate load test wing” by taking it to ultimate loads in September 2006.
The company also is supporting Northrop Grumman in their effort to win the Navy’s Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) Program. This program would extend production of the wings beyond 2015.
Vought delivered two prototype wings for the RQ-4 Block 10 Global Hawk under its initial contract with Northrop Grumman. The company also delivered nine RQ-4 Block 10 wings under its Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract.
 The U.S. Air Force RQ-4A/B Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance, unmanned aerial reconnaissance system designed to provide military field commanders with high resolution, near-real-time imagery of large geographic areas.
Advanced technology sensors, a range greater than half-way around the world, and the ability to remain on station for long periods of time will enable the Global Hawk to provide the warfighter with the essential intelligence needed to achieve information dominance throughout the battle space, well into the 21st century
The aircraft's 13,500 nautical mile range and 36 hours of endurance, combined with satellite and line-of-sight communication links to the ground segment, will permit worldwide operation of the system. High-resolution sensors, which can look through adverse weather day or night from an altitude of 65,000 feet, will conduct surveillance over an area the size of Illinois in just 24 hours.
The superior performance of the Global Hawk system will significantly enhance the U.S. military's ability to prevail in all types of operations, from sensitive peacekeeping missions to full-scale combat. The program is managed by the U.S. Air Force's Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. |
