The Global Vigilance Combined Test Force has concluded an electromagnetic profile study of Northrup Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk 20 aircraft at the Benefield Anechoic Facility at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The completed three-week study marked the first time the test force used an entire Global Hawk aircraft inside the anechoic facility. In the past, testers had used only parts of the aircraft for testing such as the fuselage. The team performed coupling, radiated emission tests, and transient emissions tests on the entire Global Hawk. The results of this testing is part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirement for the Global Hawk’s airworthiness certification. According to Ed De Reyes, Northrop Grumman EMI test lead, “It is a certificate required by the FAA to allow an air vehicle to fly in national air space. Because the Global Hawk is an unmanned aerial vehicle, the FAA is requiring a higher standard for the aircraft.” Read more on the Edwards Air Force Basewebsite.
Testing of the Global Hawk’s Electromagnetic Profile Completed at Edwards Air Force Base
