Current as of January 05, 2026
MISSION
The RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft with an AN/ZPY-2 radar that provides global all-weather, day or night Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability. The Global Hawk's mission is to provide high-altitude reconnaissance to support joint combatant forces in worldwide peacetime, contingency and wartime operations. It provides persistent, near-real-time coverage using imagery intelligence (IMINT) and moving target indicator (MTI) sensors.
FEATURES
U.S. Air Force Global Hawks have been fielded in four distinct blocks. Seven Block 10 aircraft were procured but were retired from the Air Force inventory in 2011. Block 20s were initially fielded with IMINT-only capabilities, but four were converted to an EQ-4 communication relay configuration, carrying the Battlefield Airborne Communication Node (BACN) payload. These Block 20s were retired in 2021.
Block 30 was a multi-intelligence platform that simultaneously carried electro-optical, infrared, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and high- and low-band Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) sensors. Block 30 Initial Operating Capability (IOC) was declared in August 2011. All Block 30 aircraft were retired in 2022.
Block 40 carries the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which provides MTI and SAR data. Block 40 IOC was declared in 2015, and nine Block 40s are currently supporting operations in four combatant commands. Global Hawks have supported every geographic combatant command as well as combat missions in Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn, Inherent Resolve and Odyssey Dawn in Libya, and humanitarian relief efforts during Operation Tomodachi in Japan, wildfires in California, aid missions in Haiti and Operation Allies Refuge in Afghanistan.
The Global Hawk is operated from cockpits known as the Launch and Recovery Element (LRE) and the Mission Control Element (MCE). The LRE is located at the aircraft's base and functions to launch and recover the aircraft while it is en route to and from the target area. The MCE controls the Global Hawk for the bulk of the ISR mission and is also capable of satellite launch and recovery, also known as MCE-Only Operations. Like the LRE, the MCE is staffed by one pilot but adds a sensor operator to the crew. Command and control data links enable complete dynamic control of the aircraft. The cockpits contain control and display interfaces providing aircraft health and status, sensor status and a means to alter the navigational track of the aircraft. From these cockpits, the crew also communicates with outside entities to coordinate the mission.
The sensor operator control station provides the capability to task the sensor, dynamically update the collection plan in real time, initiate sensor calibration and monitor sensor status. The sensor operator also assists the exploitation node with image quality control, target deck prioritization and scene tracking to ensure fluid operations.
The system offers a wide variety of employment options. Its unmatched range and more than 30-hour endurance allow tremendous flexibility in meeting mission requirements. In 2024, an RQ-4 Block 40 flew a 34.8-hour flight, setting the endurance record for the longest unrefueled flight by a U.S. Air Force aircraft.
BACKGROUND
The Global Hawk began as an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration in 1995. The system was determined to have military utility and provide warfighters with an evolutionary high-altitude, long-endurance ISR capability. The Global Hawk has been deployed operationally to support overseas contingency operations since November 2001.
In the RQ-4 name, the "R" is the Department of Defense designation for reconnaissance and "Q" means unmanned aircraft system. The "4" refers to the series of purpose-built remotely piloted aircraft systems. The "E" in EQ-4 delineates the communication configuration of the BACN-equipped aircraft.
The Global Hawk is operated by the 348th Reconnaissance Squadron at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., but aircraft are rotated to operational detachments worldwide. The 319th Operations Support Squadron formal training unit at Grand Forks AFB provides training for all Block 40 pilots and sensor operators.