“The Global Hawk fills a long-awaited capability for military planners – high-altitude, survivable, persistent, long-range ISR. Born in battle in Afghanistan, long before its intended debut, the Global Hawk quickly incorporated lessons learned that were employed during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Acting as part of a new network of sophisticated ISR sensors that included imagery, video, radar, SAR, MTI, electronic signal sensing and communications intercepts, the Global Hawk contributed mightily to the swift coalition victory.”
-- Major General Don Shepperd, US ANG, Ret., CNN Analyst

An up-close look at the private world of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), The Rise of Global Hawk provides a broad overview of this unique platform from its origins as a DARPA research project to its surprising evolution as a vital part of the Air Force's inventory.

Northrop Grumman emerged victorious over a dozen competing companies and was awarded the contract to design and build Global Hawk on a tight schedule. Global Hawk's development continued at a fast pace, and it began overseas deployments early on in testing. This aggressive schedule allowed Global Hawk to be a part of the Global War on Terrorism by deploying to Afghanistan and Iraq, although it hadn't yet been certified as ready for operations by the Air Force. Despite its early entry into conflict, it performed remarkably, displaying amazing versatility and revolutionizing imagery tasking.