The first of 10 advanced Global Hawk unmanned aircraft arrived at Grand Forks Air Force Base early Thursday morning, according to Sens. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and John Hoeven, R-N.D., in separate statements.
Conrad hailed the aircraft as a sign of the military's continued commitment to the unmanned aircraft mission here. The military's entire fleet of the Block 40, an advanced variant of the Global Hawk with newer radars, will be at the air base under a unit called the 69th Reconnaissance Group.
Hoeven praised the Federal Aviation Administration, which had considered delaying the arrival but changed its mind after the senators and Rep. Rick Berg, R-N.D., intervened. The future cooperation between the airspace regulatory agency and the Air Force is essential, he said.
Hoeven said he added language to the Senate's FAA funding bill that would create test sites around the country where unmanned and manned aircraft can mingle. The FAA has, for safety reasons, been wary of the two mixing.
In June, a less advanced Global Hawk variant, the Block 20, arrived at Grand Forks Air Force Base in a ceremonial role. The Block 40s will be permanently based here.
