Today on Frank Gaffney’s Secure Freedom Radio, Air Force Col. Ed Walby (Ret.), a distinguished pilot and current Director of Business Operations for Northrop Grumman, joins Frank for a special segment spotlighting the Block 30 Global Hawk UAV. The superior UAV has just reached initial operational capability and will replace the U-2 spy plane in future missions. The Generation Three Global Hawk can hover at 60,000 feet for upwards of 36 hours, surpassing the U-2’s 12, the limit of what a human pilot can endure. Because of its flight ceiling, the Block 30 Global Hawks can fly beyond the range of enemy fire, and also reduces threat levels to personnel and costs. Walby, who logged 150 U-2 combat hours in his air force career, explains how the new Global Hawk helped the Japanese after the tsunami and nuclear meltdown, and its huge successes operating over Libya and Afghanistan.

Listen here: [audio:http://www.securefreedomradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/08202011_Hour3_Seg3_Walby_11min19.mp3]