A SYERS-2 intelligence gathering sensor has been successfully flown on a Global Hawk high-altitude long-endurance drone, US defense contractor Northrop Grumman announced in a press release, according to Sputnik.
"With the success of the SYERS-2 flight, Northrop Grumman plans to fly an Optical Bar Camera (OBC) sensor and an MS-177 multi-spectral sensor later in the year," the release stated on Thursday.
The test marked the first time that the long-used US Air Force sensor has been demonstrated on a high-altitude unmanned aircraft, Northrop Grumman pointed out.
"We firmly believe that with the addition of the UPA, Global Hawk is capable of flying any mission the U.S. Air Force requires," Northrop Grumman Vice President Mick Jaggers said in the release.
Existing models of the US Air Force Global Hawk are capable of carrying an enhanced integrated sensor suite, airborne signals intelligence payload and multi-platform radar technology insertion program, the release added.