The Pentagon's top weapons tester found that the RQ-40 Global Hawk Block 30 remotely piloted aircraft is "not operationally effective," according to an operational test report issued in May 2011. However,
manufacturer Northrop Grumman said that the test findings represent "a snapshot in time" from late 2010. Since then, the Air Force has implemented corrective actions, which have resulted in better performance, according to the company. Here, a Global Hawk takes off from Andersen AFB, Guam, Oct. 7, 2010.
Air Force photo by SrA. Nichelle Anderson