Appendix A
GLOBAL HAWK FLIGHT TEST DATA
Table A.1 contains information on the Global Hawk flight test program. Data include sortie numbers, sortie dates, flight hours, objectives, results of the mission, and additional comments regarding
significant events during the test. These data were used to create the
charts used in Chapters Two and Four.
The data in the table were derived from the flash reports and quicklook reports that documented the results of each sortie.
59
5/10/98
5/30/98
2
3
Utopia
2/28/98
Date
1
Sortie
Number
AV01
AV01
AV01
Air
Vehicle
AW-03
AW-02
AW-01
5.35
2.4
0.95
8.7
3.4
0.95
II
II
II
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours Phase
Functional
checkout: expand
flight envelope
and demonstrate
systems/functions
Comments
Objectives
met
Brake problem resulted
in stopping slightly off
the runway; TO 0701
LD 1222.
LRE-MCE handoff
demonstration; 150
knots current air speed
(KCAS), 41,000-ft mean
sea level (MSL).
Most primary Landing gear would not
objectives
lock up; ECS low
met
temperature resulted in
shortening of mission
by 11 minutes.
Results
Functional
Objectives
checkout:
met
demonstrate
basic flight controls
and systems;
instrument
calibration
Functional
checkout:
airworthiness
first flight
Objective
Global Hawk Flight Test Dataa
Table A.1
60
Innovative Development: Global Hawk and DarkStar
9/17/98
10/29/98
11/20/98
5
6
7
Utopia
8/29/98
Date
4
Sortie
Number
AV02
AV01
AV01
AV01
Air
Vehicle
AV02-01
AW-06
AW-05
AW-04
3.1
9.7
6.1
5.7
33.3
30.2
20.5
14.4
II
II
II
II
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
Phase
Functional
checkout: first
flight; evaluate
core airworthiness
Medium endurance
Functional
checkout: expand
flight envelope;
demonstrate
FL600 full fuel load
Functional
checkout: expand
flight envelope;
demonstrate FL600
Objective
Table A.1—continued
Comments
Objectives
partially
met
Shortened by 0.5 hour
owing to sticking
outboard spoiler; link
with MCE could not be
established.
Executed missed
approach.
Most primary Flown at night, no
objectives
chase aircraft; IMMC A
met
failed; UHF SATCOM
failed again; first
interaction with FAA
ATC.
Most primary Minor discrepancies in
objectives
some systems; FL593
met
reached (61,000
inertial); TO 0835 LD
1417.
Results
Global Hawk Flight Test Data
61
12/19/98
9
Utopia
12/4/98
Date
8
Sortie
Number
AV02
AV02
Air
Vehicle
AV02-03
AV02-02
7.4
3.3
44.0
36.6
II
II
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
Phase
Functional
checkout: general
and payload
objectives
Functional
checkout: refly of
first flight
Objective
Table A.1—continued
Objectives
partially
met
Objectives
mostly
met
Results
General objectives
mostly met; no ISS
payloads met; reached
FL583; ISS shut down;
unsuccessful reboot
attempts—temperature
fell below lower limit.
Wideband
communications
demonstrated; aircraft
taxied off runway
autonomously after
landing; CDL failure
detected prior to
takeoff.
Comments
62
Innovative Development: Global Hawk and DarkStar
1/28/99
2/2/99
11
12
Utopia
1/22/99
Date
10
Sortie
Number
AV01
AV01
AV02
Air
Vehicle
AV01-08
AV01-07
AV02-04
10.1
1.7
6.4
62.2
52.1
50.4
II
II
II
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
Phase
Objectives
not met
Objectives
partially
met
Results
Functional
Objectives
checkout: refly
mostly met
AV1-07
mission/endurance
Functional
checkout:
lightweight;
expand sortie
duration envelope
Payload test
Objective
Table A.1—continued
Reached 64,700 ft MSL;
hydraulic system
failure cut flight short;
emergency backup
systems worked.
Engine anomalies due
to software problem
indicated early RTB:
was to evaluate fix to
wing fuel transfer
discovered in August.
General objectives
mostly met; some ISS
objectives met; imagery
taken for the first time
(poor quality).
Comments
Global Hawk Flight Test Data
63
2/28/99
3/11/99
3/13/99
14
15
16
Utopia
2/20/99
Date
13
Sortie
Number
AV02
AV02
AV01
AV02
Air
Vehicle
AV02-07
AV02-06
AV01-09
AV02-05
15.2
0.7
18.1
12.5
108.7
93.5
92.8
74.7
II
II
II
II
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
Phase
Payload
functionality test
for incentive
scoring; continued
ISS checkout
ISS basic
functionality and
characteristics
Demonstrate
endurance, towed
decoy, fuel balance
below 5000 lb fuel;
basically refly of
2/2/99 mission
ISS basic
functionality and
characteristics
Objective
Table A.1—continued
Objectives
met
Objectives
not met
Objectives
met
Objectives
met
Results
Simultaneous SAR and
EO spot imaging.
Aborted: landing gear
fault during
autonomous retraction.
Except decoy objective;
reached 66,400 ft MSL.
Reached 61,000 ft; 144
of 156 planned sensor
events; continued
improvement in Kuband communications.
Comments
64
Innovative Development: Global Hawk and DarkStar
3/29/99
5/18/99
6/3/99
18
19
20
Utopia
3/26/99
Date
17
Sortie
Number
AV01
AV01
AV02
AV02
Air
Vehicle
AV01-11
AV01-10
AV02-09
AV02-08
27.2
7.8
0.7
5.8
150.2
123.0
115.2
114.5
II
II
II
II
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
Phase
Objectives
not met
Objectives
not met
Results
SAR sensor
checkout/long
endurance
Prepare for payload Objectives
integration/
met
wideband link
evaluation
Payload
functionality test
Payload
functionality
checkout
Objective
Table A.1—continued
First flight after crash.
Air vehicle crash owing
to initiation of auto
destruct by
transmission from
Nellis Air Force Base.
Mission terminated
early owing to poor SAR
performance.
Comments
Global Hawk Flight Test Data
65
6/19/99
6/26/99
6/27/99
22
23
24
Utopia
6/11/99
Date
21
Sortie
Number
AV01
AV01
AV01
AV01
Air
Vehicle
AV01-15
AV01-14
AV01-13
AV01-12
17.2
2.0
12.8
7.8
190.0
172.8
170.8
158.0
III
III
III
II
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
Phase
D&E—
Roving Sands 2B
D&E—
Roving Sands 2
D&E—
Roving Sands 1
Exercise SAR
Objective
Table A.1—continued
Objectives
met
Objectives
not met
Objectives
met
Objectives
met
Results
Operated in NAS under
FAA control for
majority of mission; use
of encrypted links for
C2 and imagery;
demonstrated quick
turnaround time.
Curtailed: SAR would
not boot up.
Operated in NAS under
FAA control for
majority of mission; use
of encrypted links for
C2 and imagery;
demonstrated quick
turnaround time; first
in crawl series.
Second time AV01
carried SAR.
Comments
66
Innovative Development: Global Hawk and DarkStar
7/27/99
8/12/99
26
27
Utopia
7/15/99
Date
25
Sortie
Number
AV03
AV01
AV01
Air
Vehicle
AV03-01
AV01-17
AV01-16
4.0
23.9
12.9
230.8
226.8
202.9
III
III
III
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
Phase
Functional
checkout:
first flight,
evaluate core
airworthiness
D&E—Extended
Range 1-2
D&E—Extended
Range 1-1
Objective
Table A.1—continued
Objectives
met
Objectives
met
Objectives
met
Results
Continued expansion
and demonstration of
Global Hawk
capabilities: different
imagery, tasking, links,
etc.
Third D&E Phase III
flight; 91 of 119
planned sensor events
accomplished; imagery
disseminated.
Comments
Global Hawk Flight Test Data
67
9/9/99
9/16/99
10/4/99
29
30
31
Utopia
8/30/99
Date
28
Sortie
Number
AV01
AV03
AV01
AV01
Air
Vehicle
AV01-20
AV03-02
AV01-19
AV01-18
25.3
12.0
18.8
25
311.9
286.6
274.6
255.8
III
III
III
III
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
Phase
D&E—Extended
Range U.S. Navy
Seals
Functional
checkout:
continue
airworthiness
D&E—CAX 99-10
U.S. Marine Corps
Exercise
D&E—
Extended Range
2/JEFX/CAX
Objective
Table A.1—continued
Objectives
met
Objectives
met
Objectives
met
Objectives
met
Results
Except GMTI; Extended
Range 3-01 exercise;
first in walk series.
LRE CCO provided by
31st TES.
Sixth D&E participation
flight.
66,000 MSL; 5 ISS
restarts during D&E
phase; 3 during
engineering phase of
flight.
Comments
68
Innovative Development: Global Hawk and DarkStar
10/19/99
10/25/99
10/30/99
11/4/99
33
34
35
36
Utopia
10/8/99
Date
32
Sortie
Number
AV03
AV03
AV01
AV01
AV01
Air
Vehicle
AV03-04
AV03-03
AV01-23
AV01-22
AV01-21
24.6
3.0
25.5
24.8
24.8
R
414.6
390.0
387.0
361.5
336.7
III
III
III
III
III
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
Phase
Functional
checkout: ISS
Functional
checkout: ISS
D&E—Extended
Range 4-02 Alaska
D&E—Extended
Range 4-01 Alaska
D&E—Extended
Range 3-02 U.S.
Navy Seals and
CAS
Objective
Table A.1—continued
Objectives
met
Objectives
not met
Objectives
met
Objectives
met
Objectives
met
Results
✺❁❐❆
AV03 cleared for
participation in D&E.
Early RTB due to AC
generator anomaly.
Extended Range 4,
second flight; operation
outside CONUS; 23.8
hours ISS continuous
operations.
Except Delta V;
Extended Range 4;
tenth dedicated D&E
exercise.
Comments
Global Hawk Flight Test Data
69
11/13/99
11/17/99
12/3/99
12/6/99
38
39
40
41
Utopia
11/9/99
Date
37
Sortie
Number
AV03
AV03
AV03
AV03
AV03
Air
Vehicle
AV03-09
AV03-08
AV03-07
AV03-06
AV03-05
9.8
22.0
19.8
9.2
17.4
492.8
483.0
461.0
441.2
432.0
III
III
III
III
III
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
Phase
D&E—JTF-6
Sortie 2
D&E—JTF-6
Sortie 1
D&E—Desert
Lightning II
D&E—Desert
Lightning II
D&E—Desert
Lightning II
Objective
Table A.1—continued
Objectives
not met
Objectives
met
Objectives
met
Objectives
not met
Objectives
met
Results
Early RTB; postflight
taxi “event.”
14 D&E sorties flown
since June 1999.
Curtailed following
IMMC A failure due to
low temperature in
avionics compartment.
Notes 434 total test
hours in Global Hawk
program to date; 230.5
hours flown since June
1999.
Comments
70
Innovative Development: Global Hawk and DarkStar
3/24/00 AV04
3/30/00 AV04
4/4/00
4/11/00 AV04
44
45
46
47
Utopia
3/17/00 AV01
43
AV04
3/11/00 AV01
Date
Air
Vehicle
42
Sortie
Number
AV04-04
AV04-03
AV04-02
AV04-01
AV01-25
AV01-24
24.2
5.4
4.5
4.1
5.8
6.6
543.4
519.2
513.8
509.3
505.2
499.4
III
III
III
III
III
III
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
Phase
Functional
checkout
Functional
checkout
Functional
checkout
Functional
checkout: first
flight AV04
Engineering test:
wing pressure
validation (2)
Engineering test;
demonstrate
LRE 2, MRE 2; wing
pressure validation
Objective
Table A.1—continued
Objectives
met
Objectives
not met
Objectives
not met
Objectives
met
Objectives
met
Objectives
met
Results
Functional validation
of LRE 3 and MCE 2
during flight.
Early RTB due to low
fuel temperature; plan
was 24 hours.
Early RTB due to INS
anomaly; plan was 11.2
hours.
62.3 kft; no sensor
suite; first sortie with
AFFTC as RTO.
Comments
Global Hawk Flight Test Data
71
4/20/00
5/8/00
5/11/00
49
50
51
Utopia
4/14/00
Date
48
Sortie
Number
AV04
AV04
AV04
AV04
Air
Vehicle
AV04-08
AV04-07
AV04-06
AV04-05
14.1
28.0
10.5
31.5
627.5
613.4
585.4
574.9
III
III
III
III
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
Phase
D&E—
Linked Seas - 2
D&E—Linked
Seas - 1
D&E deployment
to Eglin Air
Force Base
Functional
checkout
Objective
Table A.1—continued
Objectives
partially
met
Objectives
met
Objectives
met
Objectives
met
Results
UHF satellite link
problems.
First trans-ocean flight;
first East Coast launch
and recovery; first
NATO demonstration;
first Global Hawk
operation in
international airspace.
Resumption of D&E:
LREs and MRE located
on East Coast; FAA
coordination.
Maximum altitude
65,100 ft; testing Kuband satellite links for
East Coast deployment.
Comments
72
Innovative Development: Global Hawk and DarkStar
5/19/00
6/19/00
6/30/00
7/7/00
7/12/00
53
54
55
56
57
Utopia
5/18/00
Date
52
Sortie
Number
AV05
AV05
AV05
AV04
AV04
AV04
Air
Vehicle
AV05-03
AV05-02
AV05-01
AV04-11
AV04-10
AV04-09
11.4
3.0
0.8
8.3
14.7
22.5
688.2
676.8
673.8
673.0
664.7
650.0
III
III
III
III
III
III
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
Phase
Functional
checkout
Functional
checkout
Functional
checkout
Redeployment to
EAFB
D&E—JTFEX00-2
D&E—JTFEX00-1
Objective
Table A.1—continued
Objectives
met
Objectives
mostly
met
Objectives
partially
met
Objectives
partially met
Objectives
partially
met
Objectives
met
Results
SAR checkout.
Refly of previous
mission; flight curtailed
by 1 hour due to failure
of ruddervator
actuator.
Early RTB—failure in
EO/IR LN-100
navigator.
ISS-IMMC interface
problems.
Early RTB—IMMC
failure.
Comments
Global Hawk Flight Test Data
73
8/4/00
8/11/00
8/31/00
59
60
61
Utopia
7/19/00
Date
58
Sortie
Number
AV05
AV05
AV05
AV05
Air
Vehicle
AV05-07
AV05-06
AV05-05
AV05-04
5.8
3.8
8.5
23.8
730.1
724.3
720.5
712.0
III+
III+
III+
III
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
Phase
Refly 5-05
VPH GMTI
SAR maritime
mode evaluation
Payload
configuration
functional
checkout
Functional
checkout
Objective
Table A.1—continued
Objectives
mostly
met
Objectives
met
Objectives
partially
met
Objectives
met
Results
Test for video phase
history (VPH), ISS
reconfigure from VPH
to legacy mode.
Preparation for
Australian deployment.
First test flight in
support of Australian
deployment; ISS would
not boot in new mode.
Final Phase III flight.
Comments
74
Global Hawk Flight Test Data
9/14/00
63
AV05
AV05
Air
Vehicle
AV05-09
AV05-08
0
7.0
737.1
737.1
III+
III+
Official
Flight Cumulative
Sortie
Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
Phase
Support JEFX
time-critical
targeting
Support JEFX
time-critical
targeting
Objective
Objectives
not met
Objectives
met
Results
Mission abort prior to
takeoff—exceed crosstrack error criteria on
rollout.
JEFX first sortie.
Comments
Utopia
SOURCE: HAE UAV JPO flash reports, quick-look reports, and flight test summary data charts.
a FL = flight level; ECS = environmental control system; TO = takeoff; LD = landing; ATC = air traffic control; CDL = command data link;
ISS = integrated sensor suite; RTB = return to base; NAS = national air space; GMTI = ground moving target indicator; INS = inertial
navigation system.
9/12/00
Date
62
Sortie
Number
Table A.1—continued
Global Hawk Flight Test Data
75