Aeronautical Systems Center - SAE International€¦ · Global Hawk Program Overview Aeronautical Systems Center Michael Johnston 303 AESG/LG DSN: 787-4047 Comm: 937-255-4047 [email protected]

Global HawkProgram Overview

Aeronautical Systems CenterAeronautical Systems Center

Michael Johnston 303 AESG/LGDSN: 787-4047Comm: [email protected]

Dominant Air Power: Design For Tomorrow…Deliver Today

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RQ-4A Global Hawk System

Global Hawk: High-altitude, long-endurance capability

providing intelligence, surveillance and

reconnaissance information

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What’s Interesting and Unique About Global Hawk?

• Fully autonomous UAV– GPS-aided navigation– Preplanned missions include

all flight and ISR instructions– No man-in-the-loop required– In-flight changes made by

ground operators

• Longer wing span than a Boeing 737

• Operates for over 28 hours without refueling

• Operates at altitudes up to 65,000 feet

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• Weights- Empty 9,200 lbs- Payload 2,000 lbs- Take-Off Gross 26,750 lbs

• Length 44 ft• Wing Span 116 ft• Height 15 ft

• Altitude 65,000 ft• Approximate Endurance 35 hrs• Loiter Velocity 342 KTAS• Range 12,500 nm

Global HawkSize and Performance

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Block 10/20 Comparison

90% Airframe Redesign:Block 10 Block 20 CHANGE

Payload Capacity 2,000 lbs 3,000 lbs + 50%Payload Electrical Power 10 KVA 25 KVA +150%Take-Off Gross Weight 26,750 lbs 32,250 lbs + 20%Endurance 28+ hours 28+ hours

Common systems include: Engine/Engine Installation, C2 Communication Links, Nose Gear, Air Data System, and Ice Detectors

90% Airframe Redesign:Block 10 Block 20 CHANGE

Payload Capacity 2,000 lbs 3,000 lbs + 50%Payload Electrical Power 10 KVA 25 KVA +150%Take-Off Gross Weight 26,750 lbs 32,250 lbs + 20%Endurance 28+ hours 28+ hours

Common systems include: Engine/Engine Installation, C2 Communication Links, Nose Gear, Air Data System, and Ice Detectors

Block 20 Block 10

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• Operates up to 3 Global Hawk air vehicles at one time– Multiple mission plans– Receives imagery from one

UAV at a time– Mosaics EO/IR

• Disseminates exploitable data via external theater comms

• Deploys on 3 C-141s or 2 C-17s or 1 C-5

• Comms: SATCOM: UHF/Ku-BandLOS: UHF/VHF/CDL

GENERAL DESIGN

Mission Control Element (MCE)

Launch and Recovery Element (LRE)

Common Ground Segment

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Global Hawk MCE

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Global Hawk LRE

Raytheon

communications

CommunicationEquipment

Command and Control Mission Planning

Shelter

DGPS Processing

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UHF SATCOM

• Payload Sensor Modes• EO/IR

• Spot• Pt Target• Wide Area Search

• SAR• Spot• Wide Area Search• GMTI

• Air Vehicle• 60,000 FT Altitude

ORD KPPs• Endurance - 28 hours

-• Airspace Coordination -worldwide employment

• Ground Station - operatorsperform NRT mission control,monitoring and updates/modifications

• Satisfy 100% of critical toplevel IERs

Global Hawk System Requirements/CONOPS

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Accomplishments

•• FIRST FLIGHTFIRST FLIGHT: Feb 28, 1998• Fully autonomous flight in only 32 months from go-ahead

•• FLIGHTSFLIGHTS: Over 240•• FLYING HOURSFLYING HOURS: Over 3100•• HIGHEST ALTITUDEHIGHEST ALTITUDE: 66,400 ft•• LONGEST DURATIONLONGEST DURATION: 31.5 hours•• PAYLOAD INTEROPERABILITYPAYLOAD INTEROPERABILITY: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, NATO

•• WORLD RECORDS WORLD RECORDS (as recognized by NAA)• Highest altitude by an autonomous, unmanned jet-powered aircraft: 65,191 ft• Longest endurance of an autonomous, unmanned jet-powered aircraft: 30 hrs 24 min• First non-stop flight across Pacific Ocean by an autonomous aircraft

•• OEF/OIF ACCOMPLISHMENTS:OEF/OIF ACCOMPLISHMENTS:• Over 75 combat missions• Exceeds 1500 combat hours• Greater than 20,000 ISR images

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Operation Iraqi Freedom• Flew only 3% of air breathing Imagery Intelligencemissions and 5% of hi-altitude reconnaissance sorties yet accounted for 55% of the Time Sensitive Targetsgenerated to kill air defense equipment.

• Over 15 combat missions (as of 23 April 03)

• Over 350 combat flight hours • Over 4,800 Images taken during Operation Southern Watch

/ Operation Iraqi Freedom (as of 23 April 03)• Electro-Optic (EO) – 1,296

“… Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles have been proven to be invaluable in providing long dwell surveillance, tracking, positive identification, and collateral and strike damage assessment. … Global Hawk, for example, flew sorties approaching 30 hours in duration and imaged over 600 targets during a single mission over Afghanistan.”

Gen Tommy R. Franks, CINCUSCENTCOM, 2/27/02

Public Affairs Approval Number ASC-03-1184

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Daytime IR Imagery: March 26, 1999NAS China Lake, CAAltitude: 61,000+ ft.Slant Range: 22.6 km.

Daytime IR Imagery: March 26, 1999Daytime IR Imagery: March 26, 1999NAS China Lake, CANAS China Lake, CAAltitude: 61,000+ ft.Altitude: 61,000+ ft.Slant Range: 22.6 km.Slant Range: 22.6 km. C-130

Thermal Shadow

CC--130 130 Thermal Thermal ShadowShadow

2 Approved for Public ReleaseFebruary 20, 2002

AV-8 Harrier Thermal ShadowAV-8 Harrier Thermal Shadow

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Flight AV2 - 0826 Mar 99; 1236 PST NAS China Lake, CA

Slant Range 22.1 km (12 nmi)Altitude (AGL) 17.9 km (58,850 ft)

Global Hawk IR Image

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IR Image: Search of Tora Bora Cave Complex, AF 10 Dec 01 / 0200L

Taliban Lookouts on Ridgeline

Camp Fires and Cave Entrances

Gunship Round ImpactsPA Approval #ASC-03-210RAV0001-049

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IR Image: BDA from AC-130 Gunship Strike Tora Bora Cave Complex, AF 10 Dec 01 / 0200L

Primary Hits

Secondary Cave Venting

PA Approval #ASC-03-2109RAV0001-04

Documents

Aeronautical Systems Center - SAE International€¦ · Global Hawk Program Overview Aeronautical Systems Center Michael Johnston 303 AESG/LG DSN: 787-4047 Comm: 937-255-4047 [email protected]