1. 9 OSS/OSW Global Hawk Unit Mission Briefing
MSgt Steve Williams
NCOIC Global Hawk Weather Ops

2. Overview Mission Statement The Aircraft How It Works History
Scope of Operations
Example Imagery
Weather Operations
Aircraft Sensitivities
Forecast Challenges
Questions

3. Bringing imagery from sensor to shooter in minutes
9 OSS/OSW
Mission
Provide the COCOMs & 9 RW with timely, actionable weather intelligence to facilitate sustained combat operations & training while utilizing the ‘remote split operations’ concept
Vision
Bringing imagery from sensor to shooter in minutes

4. The Aircraft
The RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system with an integrated sensor suite that provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, capability worldwide.
Global Hawk's mission is to provide a broad spectrum of ISR collection capability to support joint combatant forces in worldwide peacetime, contingency and wartime operations.
The Global Hawk complements manned and space reconnaissance systems by providing persistent near real-time coverage using imagery intelligence and signals intelligence sensors.

5. The Aircraft (con’t.)

6. The Aircraft (con’t.) U-2 Global Hawk Pioneer Hunter Predator 70K 60K
500
400
300
200
100 30 20 10 40
Endurance (hours)
Speed (miles/hour)
Altitude
Pioneer
Predator
Hunter
U-2
Global Hawk

7. How It Works
Global Hawk is flown by a Launch Recovery Element (LRE), and a Mission Control Element (MCE).
The LRE is located at the aircraft base and functions to launch and recover the aircraft while en route to and from the target area and is manned with one pilot.
The MCE controls the Global Hawk for the bulk of the ISR mission. Like the LRE, the MCE is manned by one pilot, but adds a sensor operator to the crew. Command and control data links enable complete dynamic control of the aircraft.
The pilot workstations in the MCE and LRE are the control and display interface (cockpit) providing aircraft health and status, sensors status and a means to alter the navigational track of the aircraft.
The pilot communicates with outside entities to coordinate the mission (air traffic, airborne controllers, ground controllers, other assets, weather and intel) from the MCE.

8. How It Works (con’t.) Launch and Recovery Element (LRE)
(Forward Deployed)
Mission Control Element (MCE)
(Beale AFB, CA)

9. History
Global Hawk is produced in four distinct blocks. Seven Block 10 aircraft were procured, but were retired from the inventory in FY11.
Block 20s were initially fielded with IMINT only capabilities, four Block 20s will be converted to an EQ-4 communication relay configuration carrying the Battlefield Airborne Communication Node (BACN) payload.
Block 30 is a multi-intelligence platform that simultaneously carries electro-optical, infrared, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and high and low band SIGINT sensors.
Block 30 Initial Operating Capability (IOC) was declared in August 2011.
Eleven Block 30s are currently fielded with IMINT sensors and support every geographic combatant command.

10. History (con’t.)
Block 40 will carry the Radar Technology Insertion Program (RTIP) active electronically scanned array radar which will provide SAR and Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) data.
Block 40 IOC is projected in fiscal 2014.

11. Scope of Operations Combat operations: Operations Enduring Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom / New Dawn.
Operation Odyssey Dawn in Libya
Humanitarian relief:
Operation Tomodachi in Japan (Earthquake/Tsunami)
California wildfires
Hurricane relief in New Orleans / Biloxi
Earthquake relief in Haiti
Many times we are on-station within 24 hours of notification.
Examples of imagery taken from RQ-4

12. EO Imagery Edwards AFB, CA Slant Range: 33 km Altitude: 60,000 ft
9/18/2018

13. Day IR NAS China Lake, CA Altitude: 61,000+ ft. Slant Range: 22.6 km.
Thermal Shadow
AV-8 Harrier Thermal Shadow
9/18/2018

14. SAR Spot Image Lake Success Dam Slant Range: 86 km (46.6 nm)
Altitude: km (60,400 ft)
9/18/2018

15. Weather Operations 24-hour RQ-4 weather support
All USAF RQ-4 missions, worldwide (6 COCOMS)
WX part of virtual crew (IN THE COCKPIT) via mIRC/VoIP
Unique weather sensitivities
Icing (no anti-icing)
Turbulence (image degradation)
Strict crosswind limits
Serve as RQ-4 pilot’s only “eyes” for weather phenomena
Storm recognition/avoidance (Google Earth flight follow)
Locating breaks in cloud coverage (imagery collection)
We are the “weather radar” for the Aircraft (no FLC)
Direct part of all RQ-4 missions from start to finish
AOR recommendations/missions canceled
Real time hazard, cloud cover, divert, and landing WX updates

16. Weather Operations Time Line Takeoff LAND Deployed/ Overseas WX Unit
4.5hr Prior to
Takeoff
DD175-1 to
LRE (Launch/
Recovery Ele)
+ 9 OSS/OSW
Deployed/
Overseas
WX Unit
4hr Prior to
Takeoff
Pre-Mission
WX Brief
provided to
Global Hawk
Ops Center
9OSS/OSW
Beale AFB
Long Range
Planning WX
2-3+ Days
9OSS/OSW
Beale AFB
12 RS
Global AOR
WX Update
2x Daily
9OSS/OSW
Beale AFB
Takeoff
Takeoff Obs
Provided to LRE
Deployed/
Overseas
WX Unit
As Requested
During Mission
Alt WX Update
(Freq varies w/
route of flight)
9OSS/OSW
Beale AFB
Every 4hrs
After Takeoff
Mission WX
Update
9OSS/OSW
Beale AFB
9OSS/OSW
Beale AFB
Post Mission/
Return to Base
Landing WX
Outlook
Provided to
Global Hawk
Ops Center
LAND
Landing Obs
Provided to LRE
Deployed/
Overseas
WX Unit

17. Standard Briefing Products
Weather Operations
Standard Briefing Products
Product
Origin/Producer
Takeoff WX Forecast
Space WX
Satellite
HWD/Sig WX Fcst
MWA (Hazards)
Alternate WX/Impacts
Cloud Free Forecast
Strat’ Layer Turb
Flight Level Winds
Landing WX Forecast
Deployed/Overseas Supporting Unit
JAAWIN
JAAWIN/Supporting OWS
Supporting OWS (AOR dependent)
JAAWIN, 9OSS/OSW (Tailored to Acft Sensitivities)
Supporting OWS/JAAWIN (AOR dependent)
Deployed/Overseas Unit
All Products tailored by 9OSS/OSW to meet mission parameters/aircraft sensitivities

18. Forecast Challenges
Training is intense for our folks, all types of weather and regions
Data sparse areas
Lack of good model output for upper atmosphere (TS tops and temps)
Fine scale models aren’t produced at long enough duration (48 hours or more)
Strat turbc: we are great at nowcasting but forecasting is tough. It is even harder to verify
Satellite availablity and resolution
Hazards charts and products geared to lower flying acft we must re-characterize the atmosphere.

19. Questions?