The costs of the Air Force's high-flying, long-range RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance aircraft grew significantly through the end of 2010, the Defense Department informed Congress, April 15, 2011. The aircraft's program acquisition unit cost increased 14 percent compared to its current cost baseline and its average procurement unit cost rose
22.8 percent, according to DOD's selected acquisition reports for 2010's final quarter. Here,
maintenance technicians go over pre-flight inspections on a Global Hawk before a mission from an air base in Southwest Asia, Nov. 23, 2010.
Air Force photo SSgt. Andy M. Kin
