Global Hawk is designed to fly at high altitude, long duration of observation in an intelligence mission for the AU. In the process of development, there are three versions created by NASA. This month, NASA began testing one of them for the first time with a flight over the vast Pacific region, to demonstrate the scientific benefits of such an unmanned aircraft. "This aircraft was never used by civilian groups and never used for scientific research of the Earth," explained David W. Fahey, a physicist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Video Aircraft 1 , Aircraft 2 Videos
Characterized by body fat, nose like a whale spout, the machine is up and the tail of V, the Global Hawk has a diameter of 13.3 meters long and its wings span 35 meters, or nearly the same length as the wing's latest Boeing 737 aircraft. Capable of carrying more than 500 kg of scientific instruments, the Global Hawk can operate at an altitude of 20 km and lasts for 30 hours when flying a distance of more than 20,000 km.
With this capability, the Global Hawk can take the example of the atmosphere in remote regions such as the equatorial region of the ocean, then the Arctic and Antarctic. "Looking at the distance and duration, you can explore places far and effectively operate to retrieve the desired example," Fahey said.
"Global Hawk is the union between a satellite in a plane," said Paul Newman, atmospheric scientist of NASA's senior researcher. This plane can fly at an altitude of the stratosphere, the perfect location for research on atmospheric ozone reduction.
A Top-secret U.S. unmanned aircraft are used to find the hideout of Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan may soon patrol the cities of England to search for terrorist cells hidden. Controversial measures will allow MI5 and GCHQ, the government intelligence center, increasing surveillance operation in the UK. Until now, the Global Hawk aircraft for £ 23million is not yet available for foreign sale.
However, U.S. policy has been slightly changed and the British are now negotiating to buy the plane. Americans want to supply them to patrol the UK after a series of terror plots threatening the United States and its citizens.
This includes efforts in 2006 to detonate liquid bombs on aircraft flying into American cities from the UK. It is not known how many aircraft are British want from the manufacturer Northrop Grumman, but earlier this year a senior Defense Department procurement officials visited the Pentagon to begin negotiations.
Britain did not need to use the drones in Afghanistan and Pakistan because the U.S. has been providing a full range of air in this region. The aircraft is also being used by the U.S. Navy in the Caribbean and off the coast of Florida to combat drug smuggling. In Britain, MI5 and GCHQ have been using three aircraft based at RAF Northolt in the North-West London to spy on citizens.
Third Britten-Norman Islander aircraft all fitted with surveillance equipment canggihMereka has been used to track terror cells and to find a former Afghanistan veteran who may have returned to Britain to plan terror attacks.
The aircraft was able to identify suspects using 'voice prints' rebel with a British accent picked up by spy planes monitoring Taliban radio signals in Afghanistan. However, the Global Hawk recently became the first aircraft certified by the American Federal Aviation Authority for use in the civilian air corridor without prior notice.
The aircraft can stay in the air for 30 hours without refueling. Last night, Defence Ministry sources said the Global Hawk was waiting for military use but any decision to purchase the aircraft will depend on funding.
