UAE: Al Dhafra's RQ-4 Global Hawk Deployment [UPDATE 2]

***Expect This Post To Be Updated Periodically***

Last Updated [04MAR2012]

According to USAF reporting, there are more than 1900 personnel deployed to Al Dhafra in 2010 protected by the 380th Expeditionary Security Force.
(http://www.amc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123194496)

Global Hawk Tail Numbers on Handheld Imagery at Al Dhafra
022012 (3OCT06)
022013 (23SEPT08)**
042014 (20OCT08) **
022011 (22OCT09)
022010 (14FEB10)
022008 (19JUN10) [DVIDS Freeze Frame]
042014 (19JUN10) [DVIDS Freeze Frame] **
022013 (23NOV10) **
042019 (27NOV10) [EQ-4 First Launch at Al Dhafra] (2 x EQ-4 Reportedly Housed at Al Dhafra)
052026 (29MAY11) [First RQ-4B]



Global Hawk CONOPS

USAF 18MAR2008 Global Hawk Passes 10 YR, 20,000 Combat Flight Hour Milestone

USAF 21SEP2008 Global Hawk Makes First Operationally Flown 19 HR Flight From Patuxent River NAS to Al Dhafra

Pilots and maintainers with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing tend to the first operationally-flown transatlantic Global Hawk [at Al Dhafra] on Sept. 21. It was also the first joint-launch in the history of the aircraft. The unmanned aircraft was only on the ground for about five hours after its historic flight from Pax River, Md., Sept. 20 before being turned around and sent into the Area of Operations. The operational flight also marked the first time two Global Hawks were being flown simultaneously in neighboring theaters in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

USAF 02OCT2008  Global Hawk at Beale AB, CA & Al Dhafra AB, UAE

USAF 12FEB2009 380th AEW Mission Expands With Navy Global Hawk Program RQ-4N BAMS (http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123135037)

The joint mission of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing expanded with the recent addition of the first operational Navy Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system, part of the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance program.

Navy officials answered a Department of Defense call for increased intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets in Southwest Asia, by sending a site survey team here [Al Dhafra] in August [2008] to see if the facilities of the 380th AEW could support an added mission and to discuss joint interoperability... 

The Navy and the Air Force benefit from co-locating Global Hawk operations. 

"The similarities between the Air Force and Navy Global Hawk (launch and recovery elements) provide enhanced mission capability by allowing each service to use the other's LRE as a back-up in the event of a malfunction", said Col. Kyle Garland, 380th Expeditionary Operations Group commander. 

USAF 15FEB2010 Deployed Global Hawks Surpass 30,000 Combat Flying Hours, 1,500 Sorties

USAF 19JUN2010 Global Hawk at Al Dhafra AB, UAE Statistics Update
(http://www.380aew.afcent.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123208286)

Through the first four months of 2010, RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft assigned to the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron and the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing completed more than 110 sorties in support of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions in the U.S. Central Command area responsibility. 

USAF 08APR2010 Infrastructure Upgrades To Shelters Housing Global Hawk, Dragon Lady, & Support Equipment

Note: Hangar upgrade may suggest preparation to increase the Global Hawk or U-2 deployment at Al Dhafra.

USAF 10JUN2010 Infrastructure Upgrades to Shelters Housing Global Hawk, Dragon Lady, & Support Equipment

USAF 27NOV2010 380th Aircraft Maintenance Sq Prepare EQ-4 Global Hawk For First Launch

USAF 27NOV2010 Capt William Talks About The Tactical Role Of The EQ-4 BACN

USAF (27NOV2010) Staff Sgt Medina Talks About RQ-4 At Al-Dhafra

Take Away: Sgt Medina mentions USAF had been supporting the RQ-4A for the last seven years at Al Dhafra putting the Global Hawk at the base since 2003.

USAF (27NOV2010) Capt Dan Talks About EQ-4 As First RQ-4B Flown In Theater

USAF (27NOV2010) Capt William Talks About The RQ-4 Launch Recovery Element (LRE)

USAF 29MAY2011 380 AEW Receive First RQ-4B at Al Dhafra

(http://www.380aew.afcent.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123257924)

Arriving on 11 May 2011, the RQ-4B model outperforms its predecessor with a 50 percent increase in payload capacity of 3,000lbs and operates with 2.5 times more electrical power. [However, the first "RQ-4B" may be a misnomer in reporting. All EQ-4 are  RQ-4B with the BACN payload; Ergo, their main mission is to provide a data link for various platforms utilized by the warfighter. This may be the first RQ-4B to arrive as a dedicated ISR aircraft]

Note: The new larger aircraft shelters from April 2010 can support at least 3 x RQ-4 Global Hawk as shown above. According to satellite imagery the new hangar measures approximately 75m x 50m and were probably employed to support the arrival of the new RQ-4B which have a longer wingspan than the 'A' model. These new shelters may also suggest a future deployment of additional RQ-4B. The new shelters replaced the previous 68m x 40m hangars depicted on 12FEB2009.

Alternatively, recent hangar infrastructure improvements (April 2010) may also suggest additional RQ-4 assets have already been added to Al Dhafra.

USAF 29DEC2011 BACN For Two More Global Hawks 

(http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArchive/Pages/2011/December%202011/December%2029% 202011/BACNPayloadsforTwoMoreGlobalHawks.aspx)

The Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $47.2 million contract for the purchase and integration of two Battlefield Airborne Communications Node payloads on two additional RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 20 remotely piloted aircraft. Depending on mission requirements, these could go out to Al Dhafra or alternatively Guam or Sigonella.