The Air Force’s 12th Reconnaissance Squadron out of Beale AFB, Calif., launched a Block 10, RQ-4 Global Hawk, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) recently to assist with the humanitarian aid mission in Haiti after the country suffered a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Jan. 12.
The squadron received the short-notice mission from United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) to provide imagery to assist in the continuing relief efforts.
The Northrop Grumman [NOC] Global Hawk, a high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft, is equipped with an integrated sensor suite to include synthetic aperture radar, electro-optical and medium-wave infrared sensors.
“We are primarily doing structural integrity checks,” explained Capt. John Klapp, a Global Hawk pilot. “We are doing things such as checking out how solid a building may be, what kind of damage occurred, whether structures contain heat signatures and may contain bodies.
“All of that data is making its way to first responders,” he added.
As of last week, the Global Hawk–which was diverted from other mission areas–completed more than 100 hours of flight time over Haiti, according to operators. The aircraft is being refueled at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., after flying long-endurance missions lasting over 24 hours. Pilots and sensor operators are flying six-hour shifts.
“Unlike in a normal manned aircraft, this allows us to go forward with updated targets and all the most current information,” explained Staff Sgt. Duane Johnson, a sensor operator.
“Being involved in a mission like this really boosts morale,” Johnson added. “When you see how much you are helping out, it becomes a very exciting tasking.”
SOUTHCOM is sharing imagery gathered by Global Hawk with non-governmental organizations and the State Department. Much of the data is being posted online.
Lt. Jaylan Haley, an ISR mission commander, noted that this is not the first time the Global Hawk has been used to assist in a humanitarian crisis. In 2007, imagery from Global Hawk was used to assist California firefighters battling wildfires in Southern California.
“It’s great to be able to use the aircraft to help out in a crisis,” Haley said.
Haley explained that the UAV has been used in some unusual missions, such as helping to direct traffic control at Toussaint L’Ouverture International Airport in Port-au- Prince.
“One of the first things [the U.S. military] found when landing at the airport was that the control tower was down,” he said. “We were able to step in with Global Hawk in order to assist with that mission. They were eventually using our images to move aircraft around.”
Earlier in the week, Lt. Gen. Philip Breedlove, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements, told reporters at the Pentagon that the Air Force’s Global Hawk fleet is completely allocated to mission areas worldwide, and that the aircraft sent to Haiti was diverted from elsewhere. Breedlove would not specify from which area the plane was taken.
“A lot of people have apprehension about how we’re simultaneously supporting the Haiti mission and” operations in Afghanistan, said Haley. “But no one should worry that we’re not taking care of those missions.”