The Department of Defense (DOD) has built five prototype Global Hawk reconnaissance aircraft for use in a High Altitude Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration. The Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration's purpose is to determine through design and construction of Global Hawk prototypes, and a subsequent assessment of their utility in military user demonstrations, if the concept is effective as an Air Force reconnaissance aircraft before DOD decides whether to acquire a production version of it. Reconnaissance aircraft such as Global Hawk are used to obtain information about the activities and resources of enemy forces. If DOD decides to acquire Global Hawk, the production version is expected to provide the Air Force with the ability to fly for 40 continuous hours and conduct reconnaissance for up to 24 hours at a radius of 3,000 nautical miles. In 1994, when the Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration was initiated, DOD established a $10- million average unit flyaway price goal in fiscal year 1994 dollars for air vehicles numbered 11 through 20.2 The unit flyaway price covers the cost of the vehicle, its reconnaissance sensors, and the contractor's fee. Unit flyaway price excludes costs for systems engineering and program management, system test and evaluation and non-recurring tooling, engineering and manufacturing development, and non-flying support equipment such as the ground control station.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Progress of the Global Hawk Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration
2000
15 pages
Report
Keine Angabe
Englisch
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