23 April 2001
GLOBAL HAWK HALFWAY THROUGH HISTORIC TRANS-PACIFIC FLIGHT
The United States' unmanned aerial vehicle, Global Hawk, is more than half way through its journey to Australia and on
its way to making aviation history.
Dr Brendan Nelson, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence announced Global Hawk was west of Hawaii, well
over the Pacific Ocean and on its way to Australia.
"According to Global Hawk mission controllers the flight is going to plan. Global Hawk left Edwards Air Force Base,
California, USA at 9.20pm (Adelaide time) last night (4.52am California time) and is scheduled to arrive at RAAF Base
Edinburgh tonight," Dr Nelson said.
Global Hawk, renamed Southern Cross II for its deployment to Australia, is the first pilotless aircraft to fly across
the Pacific and will be deployed to Australia until June where it will undertake 12 missions across Northern Australia
as part of the joint military exercises, Tandem Thrust.
Dr Nelson will head a media conference welcoming Global Hawk to Australia at RAAF Edinburgh (South Australia), tomorrow
morning at 10am.
ENDS