Eielson Air Force Base welcomed on Thursday an RQ-4 Global Hawk tasked to support an exercise designed to better apply the aircraft’s reconnaissance capacities to simulated warfighting.
The aircraft – assigned to Beale AFB – and a team of pilots will take part in the RED FLAG-Alaska exercise under orders from the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron, Eielson AFB said Friday.
The RF-A exercise is intended to bolster joint operation between participants, including mission control pilots from the 12th RS.
The exercise will take place at the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex and would include over 100 aircraft from 12 units based across the United States, Canada, Australia and Britain.
The aircraft’s landing on Alaska marks the RQ-4’s first entry into the state for simulated combat training.
Northrop Grumman is a prime contractor for the RQ-4 development program.
