Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Global Hawk gets innovative ISR payload adapterPublished June 17, 2016
                    
                    By Bill Hancock
                    
                    
                    88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
            **WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) --**Using a cooperative research and development agreement, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, partnering with Northrop Grumman and Air Combat Command, has developed an innovative solution to the tricky problem of how to connect existing and future information gathering sensor capabilities, not currently designed for the Block 30 RQ-4 Global Hawk high altitude long endurance unmanned aircraft system, to link with the airframe system. Through the agreement, the ISR payload adapter was conceived and flown within seven months."The IPA allows the RQ-4 to adapt and go beyond its current sensor capabilities. An example is the recent successful flight, for the first time ever, of an Air Force legacy system, the Senior Year Electro-Optical Reconnaissance System-2 (SYERS-2) intelligence gathering sensor, on the Global Hawk," said Col. Darien Hammett, the Global Hawk program director. "This flexibility permits us to communicate to potential future interested vendors how to physically and electronically connect sensor platforms to the Global Hawk -- allowing adaptability in payloads, increased range and the achievement of the highest National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale available. With the development of the IPA, our Block 30 airframes will gain further capability in supporting future and current information gathering sensor systems availability."The current Global Hawk Block 30 aircraft is capable of carrying systems such as the Enhanced Integrated Sensor Suite, Airborne Signals Intelligence Payload. These electro-optical, infrared, radar, and signals intelligence sensors enable remotely piloted aircraft to detect movements, assist with humanitarian operations, and find the enemy. Increasingly, current and future military RPAs use multi-intelligence sensor payloads to perform those missions. As the demand for capability increases and component technology proliferates it is very important that sensor information payloads be adaptable and flexible in design to allow increased ability and option of choices.With the success of the SYERS-2 flight, there are now plans to demonstrate the optical bar camera sensor, and fully integrate the next generation UTC Aerospace Systems MS-177 on the Global Hawk."The IPA allows vendors to use some or all of the 17 physical attachment points on the IPA, know how much power is available, and make crucial data exchanges with the aircraft. Basically everything needed to design, build and mount a sensor on a Global Hawk," Hammett said. "Opening up the architecture of the air system will provide added sensor technology opportunities through increased competition, which is our goal."Northrop Grumman 



ACC 



RQ-4 



Global Hawk 



ISR payload adapter 



Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                Kendall, Allvin, Saltzman urge modernization while warning Senate of delayed budgets
                    
                    Readout of Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall’s travel to the Philippines
                    
                    Air Force senior leaders visit Eielson AFB
                    
                    Air Force leaders focus on ACE during Kadena AB visit
                    
                    USAF senior leaders visit Mariana Islands on ACE tripInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Cope Tiger concludes in Thailand
                    
                    Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil