Northrop Grumman Global Hawk Flying Over Japan to Aid in Relief Missions
A Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) Global Hawk drone, based in Guam, is flying over Japan collecting data and imagery for Japanese government relief efforts, according to a U.S. military spokesman.
The drone, best known for missions over Iraq and Afghanistan, “is being used exclusively in relief efforts at the request of the Japanese government,” said the U.S. Forces- Japan spokesman, Air Force Major Joseph Macri, in an e-mail statement. It was also used over Haiti last year for broad-area surveillance.
The 9.0-magnitude temblor and subsequent tsunami on March 11 has led to what Prime Minister Naoto Kan called the country’s worst crisis since War II.
The long-range drone, which arrived in Guam in September, “is flying aerial surveillance missions in support of earthquake and tsunami relief operations in Japan,” Macri said. It’s part of a U.S. military support effort that may include 13 Navy vessels and hundreds of U.S. personnel.
The Global Hawk’s imagery may help Japan assess damage as well as logistical information such as functional ports or landing sites that could be used for relief, he said.
“It’s flying almost continuously” and “will continue at the request of the Japanese government,” Macri said.
The aircraft can fly as high as 60,000 feet and is equipped with sensors and cameras that can take infrared and electro- optical images as well as detailed synthetic aperture radar- based pictures. It is designed to flights as long as 35 hours, according to the company.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tony Capaccio in Washington at acapaccio@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net
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