flightradar24

[brocola]

….plus a whole load of C17s, A400Ms and even a French KC135 tanker

 

[brocola]

Looks like this has departed from the Indian sea ? I wonder if it has been carrier launched.

Usually Sigonella Sicily, they have a dedicated Global Hawk facility. I’m guessing this one didn’t turn its transponder on for a while

 

[PhilandMena]

For anyone following this thread and interested in the USA global Hawk, a little bit about some of its impressive capabilities.

Since the RQ-4 is capable of conducting sorties lasting up to 30 hours long, scheduled maintenance has to be performed sooner than on other aircraft with less endurance. However, since it flies at higher altitudes than normal aircraft, it experiences less wear during flight.[62]

System and ground facilities[edit]​

Raytheon's Integrated Sensor Suite (ISS) consists of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR), electro-optical (EO), and thermographic camera (IR) sensors. Either the EO or the IR sensors can operate simultaneously with the SAR. Each sensor provides wide area search imagery and a high-resolution spot mode. The SAR has a ground moving target indicator (GMTI) mode, which can provide a text message providing the moving target's position and velocity. Both SAR and EO/IR imagery are transmitted from the aircraft to the MCE as individual frames, and reassembled during ground processing. An onboard inertial navigation system, supplemented by Global Positioning System updates, comprises the navigational suite.

The Global Hawk is capable of operating autonomously and "untethered". A military satellite system (X Band Satellite Communication) is used for sending data from the aircraft to the MCE. The common data link can also be used for direct down link of imagery when the UAV is within line-of-sight of compatible ground stations. For dense flight areas the autonomous navigation is switched off and the RQ-4 is remote controlled via the satellite link by pilots on the ground who are supplied with the same instrument data and who carry the same responsibilities as pilots in crewed planes.[63]

The ground segment consists of a Mission Control Element (MCE) and Launch and Recovery Element (LRE), provided by Raytheon. The MCE is used for mission planning, command and control, and image processing and dissemination; an LRE for controlling launch and recovery; and associated ground support equipment. The LRE provides precision Differential GPS corrections for navigational accuracy during takeoff and landings, while precision coded GPS supplemented with an inertial navigation system is used during mission execution. By having separable elements in the ground segment, the MCE and the LRE can operate in geographically separate locations, and the MCE can be deployed with the supported command's primary exploitation site. Both ground segments are contained in military shelters with external antennas for line-of-sight and satellite communications with the air vehicles.

Sensor packages[edit]​

A photograph taken by US Navy Global Hawk with an aerial view of wildfires in Northern California, 2008

Radar[edit]​

Main article: Airborne ground surveillance
The Global Hawk carries the Hughes Integrated Surveillance & Reconnaissance (HISAR) sensor system.[64] HISAR is a lower-cost derivative of the ASARS-2 package that Hughes developed for the U-2. It is also fitted to the US Army's RC-7B Airborne Reconnaissance Low Multifunction (ARLM) crewed aircraft, and is being sold on the international market. HISAR integrates a SAR-MTI system, along with an optical and a thermography imager.

All three sensors are controlled and their outputs filtered by a common processor and transmitted in real time at up to 50 Mbit/s to a ground station. The SAR-MTI system operates in the X band in various operational modes; such as the wide-area MTI mode with a radius of 62 mi (100 km), combined SAR-MTI strip mode provides 20 ft (6.1 m) resolution over 23 mi (37 km) wide sections, and a SAR spot mode providing 6 ft (1.8 m) resolution over 3.8 square miles (9.8 square kilometers).

 

[brocola]

RAF C17 out of Bahrain flying up the Suez Canal. Wonder what she’s carrying

 

[sonar]

Looks like this has departed from the Indian sea ? I wonder if it has been carrier launched.

Yesterday it returned into camito in Sicily then just stopped mid air at 7500ft

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[brocola]

LAGR223 KC135 doing circuits over northern Romania refuelling something again.

 

[brocola]

Yesterday it returned into camito in Sicily then just stopped mid air at 7500ft

They switch over to control by the local airbase for takeoff and landing, whereas the rest of the flight is controlled from the USA (Nevada?)

I wonder if this matches when the transponders are getting switched on & off.

 

[sonar]

Interesting

Broken Link Removed

 

[Figaro]

Rookie question please : why do most aircraft have a yellow icon and some have blue, also the flight path changes colour and sometimes the line is dashes ? Anyone know what these mean or where to find out ?
TIA

 

[monzer]

Rookie question please : why do most aircraft have a yellow icon and some have blue, also the flight path changes colour and sometimes the line is dashes ? Anyone know what these mean or where to find out ?
TIA

Blue means FR are receiving it's position from a different transmition method. This usually occurs when aircraft are in radar blackspots ie in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.

Pretty sure the dashes are when the signal isn't great and the FR software is predicting that part of the route. Also I notice when using the app on my phone rather than computer, if I select an aircraft it gives me a dashed line 'as the crow flies' to the destination airport.

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[Kybod]

Rookie question please : why do most aircraft have a yellow icon and some have blue, also the flight path changes colour and sometimes the line is dashes ? Anyone know what these mean or where to find out ?
TIA

If you tap on one of blue aircraft, it shows in the information panel as tracked by satellite.

 

[brocola]

Hawker Hunter airborne in Lincoln area. I guess they’re dusting off all the old gear due to Ukraine situation hehe

 

[Dan and Jan]

Interesting flying patterns over Europe today.

 

[Dan and Jan]

Two drones on station now. Change over or extra eyes?

 

[brocola]

Perhaps they’re trying for a stemless changeover given the alleged intelligence about Russians being ready to rubble?

I think I’ve said before that I’d love to know what some of these aircraft are doing, but appreciate probably won’t ever find out, or at least not for 10+ years.

Here’s another example. Tonight and last night at roughly 9ish UK time, 2x RAF Typhoons have popped up on FR24 over northeast Jordan. What’s that about? Ferrying them back to Cyrus? Practising night skillz?

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[brocola]

Occasionally I check the “Military Freedar” app because it’s less cluttered than FR24 and sometimes uncovers something interesting that I wouldn’t have noticed.

Like a Royal Netherlands Airforce Apache Longbow and 2xF16s out to play after dark

(So many questions…)

 

[brocola]

Two drones on station now. Change over or extra eyes?

They’re both now pottering around the similar area, something’s caught their eyes…

 

[monzer]

This is a good read. Plenty info on the aircraft currently being utilised in Ukraine.

This Is The Armada Of Spy Planes Tracking Russia's Forces Surrounding Ukraine

Meet the fleet of intel-gathering planes that has been aloft over the Black Sea and Ukraine to keep tabs on Russian forces.

www.thedrive.com

I do know a huge part of what these planes do is catch mobile phone calls. There's always some useful intelligence in listening in on a squaddies call home.

 

[philann]

RAF C17 out of Bahrain flying up the Suez Canal. Wonder what she’s carrying

HMS Juffair, permanent UK forces base in Bahrain

 

[Figaro]

I do know a huge part of what these planes do is catch mobile phone calls. There's always some useful intelligence in listening in on a squaddies call home.

I bet they're complaining about being stuck in the middle of nowhere surrounded by mud lol
Lets hope they get really pi$$ed off and can't get moving again

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[brocola]

NATO version of Global Hawk (RQ-4D Phoenix) just taken off from Sicily, seems to be in holding pattern

 

[Two on Tour]

I see that commercial flights are giving Ukraine a wide berth this morning.

 

[Peter and Julie]

I see that commercial flights are giving Ukraine a wide berth this morning.

FORTE12 is out over the black sea atm.

 

[Two on Tour]

FORTE12 is out over the black sea atm.

Yes, and has been flying some patterns over Ukraine, but now appears to be keeping some distance.

 

[monzer]

A dark day for Europe.

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[PhilMary]

Will you lot stop overloading the server, I can't see my delivery coming in

 

[sonar]

Been trying for a while but nothing.
does anyone think it’s been suspended for a while

 

[brocola]

I thought that or perhaps a denial of service attack, but FR24 are saying on twatter this morning their traffic is 10-20 times normal and is overloading available capacity

 

[brocola]

A dark day for Europe.

I agree. What has been previously an interest or fascination for us has got very real for a lot of people in the region.

 

[sonar]

Back on again now.

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