Airmen see base's future first-hand

Published June 26, 2009
By Tech. Sgt. Amanda Callahan
319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- A small contingent of Grand Forks Airmen departed theJune 25 en route to the unveiling ceremony of the Block 40 Global Hawk Unmanned Aircraft System at Air Force Site 42 in Palmdale, Calif.

Led by Col. Joseph Douez, 319th Mission Support Group commander, seven Airmen disembarked a KC-135 Stratotanker on a flightline peppered with UASs and tumbleweeds to get the first look at the base's future.

The "milestone event," as it was referred, occurred June 25 in a hangar at Northrop Grumman's site three, where the Global Hawk is assembled. A white screen concealed the new Block 40, designated Air Force 18, while guest speakers addressed the audience.

Ed Walby, director of Northrop Grumman's high altitude, long endurance business development, welcomed guests to the ceremony and read a letter written by North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad, who was unable to make an appearance.

"This magnificent aircraft you unveil today represents the future of Grand Forks Air Force Base," the letter read. "Air Force 18 and the rest of the Block 40 fleet will make significant contributions to the safety and security of our nation for years to come ... I look forward to seeing this airframe on the Grand Forks ramp next year."

Of those who were able to attend, which included representatives from California senators and congressmen's offices and the mayor of Palmdale, the Warriors of the North were introduced to the crowd as the "honored guests" by Mr. Walby "It's very important we have [Colonel Douez] here and the members of his team. I'd like to say you're the most honored guests because you're the folks who are going to get this beast and put her to work for our nation."

George Guerra, vice president of Northrop Grumman's HALE systems and site manager of Unmanned Systems, told the audience "Northrop Grumman's expertise has spanned years, and we've built hundreds of thousands of systems over those years. We're very proud of the legacy we've been able to provide, and we're going to continue that legacy with what we're actually going to see today."

Grand Forks AFB will be a part of that legacy, added Colonel Douez.

He told the crowd of his past experience at the same plant 14 years ago as a B-2 instructor pilot. During that visit, he saw the last of the planes that left the plant.

Now, all these years later, the colonel remarked about the future of Grand Forks AFB as the next home of the Block 40 Global Hawk.

"Grand Forks is ready to take on this new mission and the challenges that come with it," Colonel Douez aid. "The Warriors of the North are eager for the dynamic future of a base comprised of Air National Guard, Air Mobility Command, Customs and Border Protection and, of course, Air Combat Command's Global Hawks."

As the crowd's applause for Colonel Douez's comments quieted, Mr. Guerra readied the audience for what was to come ... the official unveiling of Air Force 18, the 27th Global Hawk built since the program began in 1995. After strobe lights flashed, the white curtain raised to reveal the Block 40 in all its carbon-fiber composite glory.

Larger than the Air Force's U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, the Block 40 flies at an altitude greater than 60,000 feet and is equipped with a new radar, the multi-platform radar technology insertion program sensor. It's able to fly more than 32 hours at speeds near 340 knots. In addition, the parts are interchangeable, allowing for ease of upgrades as technology evolves.

"The Block 40 aircraft will provide game-changing situation awareness for our warfighters with its unprecedented capability to detect, track and identify stationary and moving targets," Duke Dufresne, vice president and general manager for Northrop Grumman's Strike and Surveillance Systems Division. He also mentioned the first flight of Air Force 18 is planned later this summer.

In addition to being up close and personal with the final product, Grand Forks Airmen also attended a tour of the production center, built for assembly of the B-2 Spirit bomber. Now used to assemble both Global Hawks and F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, the near spotless facility is designed to react quickly to changes, with redundant work center environments, said Mike McCormack, Palmdale production manager for Northrop Grumman. "When we move people, we only have to worry about the product, not the environmental conditions that may change."

"I love [UASs] as a whole," said Airman 1st Class Daniel Crayton, 319th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. "I see a lot of positive change in the future. This will be saving lives and helping a lot of people."

The comments from aviation experts, elected officials and the base's own leadership were echoed throughout the crowd.

"It sounds like they need it now," and "this is amazing technology," could be heard as one passed small clusters of people. As previously mentioned by Col. John Michel, Grand Forks AFB commander, and Colonel Douez, team Grand Forks is excited about becoming home to a family of UASs, with Air Force 18 at the forefront of the evolving base structure.

"Grand Forks AFB is no stranger to mission changes, and this current transition into UAS is allowing us to partner with others to create one of the most unique relevant wings in the nation," Colonel Michel said. "The opportunities to further our evolving mission as an even more enterprising partnership among our current and future teammates are incessant. We are contextualizing the base for the battlespace, whether here in the Red River Valley or across the seas supporting the warfighter."