AIR FORCE GROUNDS SPY PLANE.Byline: Staff and Wire Services EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. - Air Force officials grounded Global Hawk spy planes pending an investigation into last week's crash of one such unmanned aircraft Unmanned Aircraft (UA) is a term used in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) definition of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). UA refers to the aircraft portion of the system required to operate it, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. in Pakistan. The Global Hawk, manufactured by Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is an aerospace and defense conglomerate that is the result of the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company is the third largest defense contractor for the U.S. in Palmdale, will undergo no further operations testing at Edwards Air Force Base until more can be learned about what caused Wednesday's crash, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. an Air Force statement issued Friday. Pentagon officials have attributed the crash to engine failure. The U.S. Central Command confirmed that the craft was not brought down by hostile fire In insurance law, a combustion that cannot be controlled, that escapes from where it was initially set and confined, or one that was not intended to exist. A hostile fire differs from a friendly fire, which burns in a place where it was intended to burn, such as one confined . The Pentagon decided to rush the Global Hawk into use following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks even though normal developmental tests had not been completed. Only about a half-dozen of the aircraft were made available. Wednesday's crash was the second loss of a Global Hawk: The first occurred in late December near Afghanistan. A spokeswoman for Northrop Grumman said until all the information is collected and the remains of the craft examined, the defense contractor Noun 1. defense contractor - a contractor concerned with the development and manufacture of systems of defense armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; cannot say how development will be affected. Northrop Grumman placed a similar hold on Global Hawk operations following the first crash in December. An Air Force investigation blamed that crash on a structural failure, resulting from an improperly installed bolt. The Global Hawk is designed for long-range, high-altitude flights, largely to locate targets for U.S. strike aircraft. It is equipped with still-image cameras and sophisticated radar. The plane can reach altitudes of 65,000 feet, with a range of 12,000 nautical nau·ti·cal adj. Of, relating to, or characteristic of ships, shipping, sailors, or navigation on a body of water. [From Latin nauticus, from Greek nautikos, from miles. It can reach speeds approaching 400 mph, for as long as 35 hours. In April 2001, it set a record for an unmanned aircraft by flying 7,500 miles nonstop across the Pacific to Australia. The craft is controlled by an onboard computer that is programmed in advance and guides the Global Hawk during its mission, including takeoff and landing. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk has been grounded after last week's crash. |
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