Drones Will Change Modern Warfare

January 20, 2011 — It may be an experimental spy plane, but what the Global Observer and other drones could do and mean to modern warfare is no secret. With a 175-foot wingspan, the hydrogen-powered unmanned drone is being developed to serve as a surveillance and communication link platform. Built to survey 280,000 square miles per flight while flying mostly at 65,000 feet, the Global Observer made its first hydrogen-powered test flight January 6 at Edwards Air Force Base, flying at about 3,000 feet for four hours. According to AeroVironment Inc., the aircraft’s internal-combustion engine burns cryogenically stored liquid hydrogen, leaving water vapor for exhaust. That system powers a generator that delivers electricity to the aircraft's four wing-mounted motors. The $30 million aircraft, which can stay aloft for a week at a time, was developed from a Pentagon program and testing is expected to see it flying at its design altitude of 65,000 feet by year-end. If successful, the military hopes to see the aircraft perform its comm-link and surveillance roles where cost or other variables prevent the use of satellite. At altitude, the aircraft is expected to be out of range of most surface-to-air missiles and capable of providing comm-link capabilities over a 600-mile diameter. “Global Observer has moved quickly from development and testing toward demonstrating mission-ready, affordable persistence," Tim Conver, chairman and chief executive officer for AeroVironment, Inc., told the 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs. "Similar to a satellite, Global Observer is the first system designed to provide a 24/7/365 unblinking eye and continuous communications link over any location on the earth's surface for as long as needed," he added. It’s not the only drone currently being tested, however. The Los Angeles Times reported that the bat-winged X-47B drone, built by Northrup Grumman Corp. and Boeing Co.’s Phantom Ray drone are also being tested at Edwards AFB. The X-47B could carry laser-guided bombs and be launched from an aircraft carrier. The Phantom Ray drone that could slip behind enemy lines to knock out radar installations, clearing the way for fighters and bombers. "We are looking at the next generation of unmanned systems," said Phil Finnegan, an aerospace expert with the research firm Teal Group. "As the U.S. looks at potential future conflicts, there needs to be more capable systems. Boeing's Phantom Ray and Northrop's X-47B can enter contested air space, attack the enemy, and leave without detection on a radar.”

The Global Observer flies for the first time over Edwards Air Force Base powered by hydrogen Jan. 6. The 412th Test Wing‘s Global Vigilance Combined Test Force will now expand the altitude and duration of flight tests to validate the aircraft‘s high-altitude and long-endurance potential. Credit: Air Force photo by Bobbi Zapka The NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, with Boeing's Phantom Ray riding on back, soars over southwestern terrain on its flight December 14, 2010, from St. Louis to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., where Phantom Ray will conduct test flights. Photo credit: NASA

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