The RQ-4 is a single-engine, high altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle developed and manufactured by American aerospace company Northrop Grumman. The RQ-4, named “Global Hawk,” performs a variety of ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) mission sets that comprise the collection of imagery intelligence (IMINT), signals intelligence (SIGINT), and measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT) data. Sensors include, but are not limited to, electro-optical / infrared (EO/IR) suites, thermographic scanners, and synthetic aperture radar. Data is transmitted in near real time via secure satellite communications link to base stations for processing. The aircraft plays pivotal roles in all levels of military reconnaissance operations, notably the strategic, but also the operational, and the tactical.
The RQ-4 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) comprises the UAV itself, a command and control system, a launch and recovery system, and data links, both satellite-based and line-of-sight. The aircraft can fly autonomously, semi-autonomously, or via remote piloting. The Global Hawk provides ISR data that satellites cannot produce due to restrictions imposed by orbital pathways and vertical distance to areas of interest.
The RQ-4 took its maiden flight on February 28, 1998 and it was introduced into service with the United States Air Force in November of 2001. Other users, including NASA, the United States Navy, and several other countries, employ the RQ-4 and variants of the base airframe for a large spectrum of military and scientific operations.
The RQ-4 has a distinctive design that comprises a fuselage with a pronounced bulbous nose, a high aspect ratio main wing, a V-tail empennage, and an engine nacelle on the upper portion of the rear fuselage. The Global Hawk measures 47 feet, 7 inches in length, stands 15 feet, 4 inches tall, and has a wingspan of 130 feet, 11 inches. It is powered by a single Rolls-Royce F137-RR-100 turbofan engine that generates up to 7,600 pounds of thrust.
The RQ-4 has a range of 14,000 miles and an endurance of up to 42 hours. It has a service ceiling of 60,000 feet above sea level, it cruises at 357 miles per hour, and it has a top speed of 391 mph.
