A BACN Global Hawk, one of two battlefield airborne communications node unmanned aerial systems, took off from Northrop Grumman’s manufacturing facility in Palmdale, Calif., July 14. The aircraft made its first functional checkout flight after completing modifications to a communications platform. The functional checkout flight ended with a landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The BACN Global Hawk modifications are part of the Joint Urgent Warfighter Need program, created to improve air and ground communications while on the battlefield. (U.S. Air Force photo/Greg L. Davis)