Drones on the Way to Replacing the Famed U-2 Spy PlaneAugust 05, 2011
 The U.S. Air Force’s $12 billion Global Hawk program, a fleet of unmanned drones, looks close to replacing the aging U-2 fleet, according to an article in The New York Times. The Global Hawk, being built by Northrop Grumman, has some distinct advantages over the Cold War era spy plane. The drones can cruise at 60,000 feet, like the U-2, but they can stay aloft much longer with pilots taking shifts on computers on the ground. The Pentagon also says they are cheaper to operate, according to the article. But the drones also have some disadvantages — at least in the current developmental phase. Like many defense projects, the Global Hawk program has been beset by delays, cost overruns and even questions about whether it is capable of replacing the venerable U-2. The drone also still has technical issues that need to be addressed, including fitting it with high-tech sensors which can cost as much as the planes themselves, according to the article. “The Global Hawk is a very impressive product, but it is also a very expensive product,” Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst at the Teal Group, told the Times. “Those U-2s were paid for a long time ago.” To make matters worse, costs for the drones have more than doubled, leading the Air Force to reduce the proposed fleet to 55 from 77. That raised the price of each drone to $218 million, far above the $28 million cost for a Reaper, the Pentagon’s armed drone, according to the Times. Furthermore, several components have failed during Pentagon tests, raising questions about whether the drone is reliable enough to provide continuous intelligence. Cuts in the military budget could further slow any transition to drones. The transition was scheduled for this year, but now Northrop is not expected to have enough airborne Global Hawks until the end of 2012, according to the article. With more drones in flight, the Air Force will be able to test their effectiveness before phasing out the existing 32 U-2s by 2015. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Johnny Saldivar) |
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