An unmanned US high-altitude Global Hawk spy plane made aviation history by completing the first non-stop, robotic flight across the Pacific to Australia, defence officials said today.
The Global Hawk, a jet-powered aircraft with a wingspan equivalent to a Boeing 737, flew from Edwards Air Force Base in California and landed late last night at the Royal Australian Air Force base at Edinburgh, in South Australia state.
The 13,840 km (8,600 mile) flight, at an altitude of almost 20 km (12.5 miles), took 22 hours and set a world record for the furthest a robotic aircraft has flown between two points. The Global Hawk flies along a pre-programmed flight path, but a pilot monitors the aircraft during its flight via a sensor suite which provides infra-red and visual images.
"The aircraft essentially flies itself, right from take-off, right through to landing, and even taxiing off the runway," said Rod Smith, the Australian Global Hawk manager.
While in Australia, the Global Hawk will fly about 12 maritime surveillance and reconnaissance missions around Australia's remote coastline. It can fly non-stop for 36 hours and search 137,000 square km (52,895 square miles) in 24 hours.
Australia is assessing the aircraft and might buy it in future.
Emerging systems such as the Global Hawk offer Australia great potential for surveillance, reconnaissance and ultimately the delivery of combat power, said Brendan Nelson, parliamentary secretary to the Australian defence minister.
Nelson said the Global Hawk could be used in combat to detect, classify and monitor targets as they approached the Australian coast.