EuroHawk UAV Makes First Flight

[Farahvar]

EuroHawk Makes First Flight

The Euro Hawk® unmanned reconnaissance aircraft takes off for its maiden flight June 29, 2010 from Northrop Grumman's Palmdale, Calif., manufacturing facility

 

[Ishan]

Looks so Cool

 

[blueoval79]

Wow...the size is huge....I am impressed... this would be the first jet engine powered UAV i guess

 

[nomi007]

copy of global hawk of USA

 

[maithil]

copy of global hawk of USA

classic example of posting without a clue..

NORTHROP GRUMMAN is also an american company..

 

[Jigs]

copy of global hawk of USA

No really ? I just thought it was a variant that Germa.....oh wait!

 

[jha]

classic example of posting without a clue..

NORTHROP GRUMMAN is also an american company..

well said..

 

[praveen007]

copy of global hawk of USA

this might help u iiifff u only read it

http://www.eads.net/800/en/businet/defence/mas/uav/eurohawk.html

Via their joint venture EuroHawk GmbH, Military Air Systems (MAS) and its US partner Northrop Grumman are developing a high-altitude reconnaissance system for SIGINT (SIGnals INTelligence) tasks, modified and specially equipped to national requirements of the German customer. This is based on the Global Hawk RQ4-B high-altitude UAV produced by Northrop Grumman and is equipped with a technically advanced SIGINT mission system from EADS. The SIGINT system provides stand-off capability to detect radar emitters (electronic intelligence / ELINT mission) and communications emitters (communication intelligence / COMINT mission). EADS will also provide the ground stations that will receive and analyse the data from Euro Hawk® as part of an integrated system solution for the German customer.

EuroHawk GmbH, which is headquartered in Friedrichshafen, bears system responsibility for the German version and acts as the national contracting party vis-à-vis the German government. On 31 January 2007, EuroHawk GmbH and the Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement signed the development contract for a Euro Hawk® demonstrator system. Delivery of this demonstrator is scheduled for 2011 with a follow-on contract for the adaptation and delivery of four (4) additional Euro Hawk platforms with operational capability scheduled between 2015 and 2016. The Euro Hawk® systems will replace the aging fleet of Breguet Atlantic aircraft (in service since 1972) in the SIGINT mission.

 

[1000VA]

Germany's first Euro Hawk unmanned aircraft, built by Northrop Grumman and EADS Defence & Security, approaching landing on its maiden flight June 29, 2010. The Euro Hawk landed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., where it will undergo a final series of operational testing and evaluation prior to its ferry flight to Germany.

The Euro Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS), built by Northrop Grumman Corporation and EADS Defence & Security, successfully completed its first flight June 29. The high-flying aircraft took off at approximately 10:32 a.m. PDT from Northrop Grumman’s Palmdale, Calif., manufacturing facility and climbed to 32,000 feet over Palmdale’s desert skies before landing nearly two hours later at 12:24 p.m. PDT at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

The German Ministry of Defense awarded a contract in January 2007 to EuroHawk GmbH a 50-50 joint venture company by Northrop Grumman and EADS Defence & Security, for the development, test and support of the Euro Hawk SIGINT surveillance and reconnaissance system.

Based on the Block 20 Global Hawk, Euro Hawk will be equipped with new signals intelligence (SIGINT) mission system developed by EADS, providing standoff capability to detect electronic and communications emitters. A ground station consisting of a mission control and launch and recovery elements will be provided by Northrop Grumman. EADS Defence & Security will also provide a SIGINT ground station, which will receive and analyze the data from Euro Hawk as part of an integrated system solution.

The Euro Hawk has a mission endurance of 30 hours and a maximum altitude of more than 60,000 feet. It is an interoperable, modular and cost-effective replacement to the aging fleet of manned Breguet Atlantic aircraft, which have been in service since 1972 and will be retired in 2010. Subsequent systems are anticipated for delivery between 2016 and 2017 following successful testing and introduction in German operational service.