The US Air Force is repositioning three RQ-4 Global Hawk drones from Guam to Japan, in order to better support Indo-Pacific operations.

The United States Pacific Air Forces announced that it has “permanently relocated” three RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40 unmanned reconnaissance aircraft along with support personnel from the 4th Reconnaissance Squadron, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to Yokota Air Base, Japan. The transfer was completed at the end of the move.

“The move to base the RQ-4 at Yokota Air Base supports more favorable weather in the Kanto Region during typhoon season, which will maximize the unit’s ability to support theater-wide operations,” the US Air Force wrote in a statement. It added that the Global Hawks’ deployment to Japan would provide “persistent reconnaissance” in the Western Pacific, a region that the Pentagon has acknowledged faces unique challenges as China and North Korea continue to rattle sabers.

The RQ-4 will be employed to support US military intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) collection, to support the joint force mission as well as those of the US allies and partners in the region.

“Yokota Air Base is the right location to support current and future RQ-4 operations in the theater, while upholding the quality of life of our Airmen and families,” said Lt. Col. Adam Otten, 4th RS commander. “We would like to thank Guam and the Andersen Air Force Base community for hosting the Global Hawk the past 16 years. We are excited to be here, and we are confident that the unit will thrive alongside Team Yokota.”

Yokota Air Base is a joint US and Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) installation, located in the western Tama Area of Tokyo. It serves as the headquarters for US Forces Japan and the Fifth Air Force, and it currently acts as the primary airlift and logistics hub for US military operations throughout the Indo-Pacific.

The RQ-4 Global Hawk Is America’s Eye in the Sky

• Manufacturer: Northrop Grumman (prime contractor), Raytheon, L3 Comm
• Year Introduced: 2001
• Number in Service: ~33
• Length: 47.6 ft (14.5 m)
• Wingspan: 130.9 ft (39.8 m)
• Weight (MTOW): 32,250 lbs (14,628 kg)
• Engine(s): One Rolls Royce-North American F137-RR-100 turbofan engine (7,600 lbf thrust)
• Top Speed: 310 knots (357 mph, 575 km/h)
• Range: 12,300 nmi (14,150 mi, 22,780 km); ~34 hours’ endurance
• Service Ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,288 m)
• Loadout: No armaments; 3,000 lb (1,360 kg) payload capacity
• Crew: Unmanned; 3 ground crew (LRE pilot, MCE pilot, sensor operator)

The RQ-4 unmanned aerial system (UAS) was developed to provide ISR collection, and each Global Hawk can remain airborne for more than 30 hours. It can deliver persistent, day/night operations, providing high-resolution, all-weather imagery of vast swaths of geographic areas.

According to Northrop Grumman, the prime contractor of the Global Hawk, the UAS has “amassed more than 320,000 flight hours,” and it has been deployed to global hotspots supporting military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, North Africa, and throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Beyond its military capabilities, the Global Hawk has been employed to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and recovery operations, most notably during Operation Tomodachi, the United States Armed Forces assistance operation to support Japan in disaster relief following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

The post The RQ-4 Global Hawk Drone Is Big in Japan appeared first on The National Interest.

Source link