Article Posted on : - Oct 14, 2011

The Euro Hawk UAV. A German Air Force/Northrop photo

MANCHING, GERMANY (BNS): Euro Hawk -- the first international configuration of US's RQ-4 Global Hawk drone system designed for the German armed forces -- has been officially unveiled.

The unmanned spy plane, which had arrived in Germany in July 2011, was rolled out in the presence of government officials and media on Wednesday.

The plane is fitted with Integrated Signal Intelligence System (ISIS) developed by EADS Cassidian and will undergo flight testing in 2012, the company said.

A High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle - Euro Hawk can fly non-stop for 30 hours at an altitude of over 60,000 feet.

The plane, weighing 15 tonnes and with a wing span of 40 metres, is fitted with sensors that can penetrate clouds and sandstorms.

Deployment of first Euro Hawk with Germany's Bundeswehr (Federal Defence Force) is expected in 2012, with another four systems scheduled tentatively between 2015 and 2017.

The drones are designed to strengthen surveillance capabilities of the armed forces in the battle field.

EuroHawk GmbH, a 50-50 joint venture of Northrop Grumman and Cassidian, is responsible for the development and manufacturing of Euro Hawk systems.