The RQ-4 Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Systems of the U.S. Air Force has conducted intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance  flights in the skies over Eastern Ukraine and Crimea.

The RQ-4 Global Hawk team’s eyes in the sky are can provide a bird’s eye view of potential threats surrounding a large area, giving ground troops a detailed look ahead at their routes, vulnerabilities, and tactical advantages.

Recall that  From the beginning of March 2014, protests by pro-Russian and anti-government groups took place in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine, together commonly called the “Donbass”, in the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution and the Euromaidan movement. These demonstrations, which followed the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, and which were part of a wider group of concurrent pro-Russian protests across southern and eastern Ukraine orchestrated by the Russian government, escalated into an armed conflict between the pro-Russian separatist forces and the Ukrainian government.

The RQ-4 Global Hawk, serves as the Air Force’s high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, long endurance RPA. Global Hawks are loaded with an integrated sensor suite and cameras capable of providing global all-weather, day or night ISR, however while on the ground visibility for pilots operating the aircraft from within the Mission Control Element is limited.

The Global Hawk is operated by the United States Air Force. It is used as a high-altitude platform covering the spectrum of intelligence collection capability to support forces in worldwide military operations. According to the United States Air Force, the superior surveillance capabilities of the aircraft allow more precise weapons targeting and better protection of friendly forces.