SAN DIEGO – Nov. 18, 2016 — Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE:NOC) Global Hawk unmanned high altitude long endurance system will mark the 15th anniversary of supporting United States Air Force (USAF) combat operations. On Nov. 20, 2001, a Global Hawk took to the skies in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Since that initial flight, Global Hawk has supported the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance needs of our nation.

Originally designed to support the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency evaluation of high altitude, long endurance aircraft, the Global Hawk demonstrator first flew Feb. 28, 1998. Development continued through 2001 when a Global Hawk system flew a historic mission from Edwards Air Force Base, California to Royal Australian Air Force Base, Edinburgh, Australia – the first time an unmanned system had crossed the Pacific Ocean nonstop.  This historic trans-Pacific flight would become the norm when the Global Hawk system, while still officially in development, was deployed to support Operation Enduring Freedom.

“Global Hawk went to war soon after the tragic events of 9/11 and has never come home,” said Mick Jaggers, vice president and program manager, Global Hawk program, Northrop Grumman. “We are incredibly proud of Global Hawk’s legacy of service to the United States Air Force and are grateful to the hundreds of men and women who have helped make Global Hawk the pre-eminent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform in the world.”

The Global Hawk landed in the Middle East in November and in less than 10 days was prepared for a mission to support warfighters on the ground.

Northrop Grumman employees were forward-deployed, too, working alongside their USAF counterparts to get Global Hawk in the air and keep it flying to provide critical pre-strike and post-strike data necessary for effective combat operations. The team was led by Avis Anderson, now Northrop Grumman’s Director of Global Logistics and Operations.

Press release Lockheed Martin