Posted by John McHaleEDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., 27 July 2011. The RQ-4B Block 40 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) made its first full system flight with the AN/ZPY-2, the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) sensor aboard. The MP-RTIP-equipped Block 40 Global Hawk from Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE:NOC) flies at as high as 60,000 feet for more than 32 hours per sortie at speeds near 340 knots. The UAV provides persistent coverage to see through all weather, day or night.This is a first for a fleet of Block 40 Global Hawks that will be delivered to the UAS' main operating base at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems is the prime contractor for the Global Hawk and the MP-RTIP program. Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems in Norwalk, Conn., works with Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems in El Segundo, Calif., to develop, produce, and deliver the AN/ZPY-2 MP-RTIP radar.
