The Air Force has sent its first production Global Hawk UAVs to Southwest Asia. Previously, the service employed development models of the high-flying reconnaissance aircraft for operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. USAF contracted for only nine production RQ-4A vehicles, which have enhanced sensors over the development aircraft. The Air Force has already awarded a production contract for the new, larger RQ-4Bs, which can carry twice the sensor payload of the A model.
The Defense Department now says military members can indeed attend conferences in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, correcting a statement made last week by Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby. The Air Force Association continues to plan a full, in-person 2022 AFA Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., March 2-4. “To…