Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk

In production

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Overview Supply chain (41) Downloads

Single turbofan reconnaisance UAV. Includes EuroHawk, NATO AGS, RQ-4B and MQ-4C Triton variants

Photo: Northrop Grumman

Lift type

Fixed wing

Assembly

Factory-built

Control

Autonomous

Engine type

Turbofan

Application

Surveillance

Design & construction

The aircraft as engineered: what it is built from, the systems it flies with, and its configuration — each box a theme.

Airframe & structure

Primary structure

Aluminium

Wing

Composite

Landing gear

Retractable tricycle

Ice protection

None

Pressurisation

Unpressurised

Systems & avionics

Flight controls

Full FBW digital

Autopilot

3-axis

Avionics architecture

Integrated glass suite

Configuration & certification

Wing position

High

Planform

Straight

continued

Tail

V-tail

Certification

Military

Technical reference compiled with AI research; a value appears only where two independent research passes and a web fact-check agree. Gaps are deliberate.

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Type variants

Variant	Launch / first flight	Production end	Notes
Northrop Grumman RQ-4A	1997 / 1998		Production: 25 (2008) The first RQ-4B Block 20 Global Hawk was delivered in June 2008. Developmental testing of Block 20 continued through 2008; no additional deliveries are documented in primary sources for this calendar year. [medium]. Initial production variant.
Northrop Grumman RQ-4B	2002 / 2004		Enhanced and enlargened version of RQ-4A.
Northrop Grumman RQ-4D Phoenix	2009 / 2019		NATOS AGS variant.
Northrop Grumman EuroHawk	2009 / 2010	2013	German Air Force ordered variant of RQ-4B, developed by EuroHawk GmbH.
Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton	2012 / 2013		Maritime variant.

Airframer

Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems

News

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The program’s dated history — milestones, contracts, supplier selections and facilities, each linked to its source. Log in to view.

Information on this page is compiled from a variety of published sources; links do not necessarily imply recommendation or confirmation by the airframe manufacturer.