RQ-4 NATO aircraft purchased from the United States are capable of spying 200 km deep into enemy territory without invading airspace.

"This aircraft will operate in NATO airspace, but will be able to track activities within the country, far from the borders of neighboring countries. It will help us understand the situation on the other side," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday.

The statement was made by Stoltenberg after NATO commissioned the first $ 220 million RQ-4 Global Hawk (UAV) RQ-4 Global Hawk (UAV) in a contract for 10 aircraft purchased from the United States. Two upgraded RQ-4 aircraft are being tested in the Italian island of Sicily, while three others are expected to be shipped to Europe this year.

Secretary-General Stoltenberg confirmed that the aircraft would give significant advantages to the alliance over rivals such as Russia and China, saying the long-range UAV operational command would be operational from in 2022.

RQ-4 Global Hawk is a US-made long-range surveillance drone, equipped with modern integrated aperture aperture (SAR) and photo-electronic-infrared (EO / IR) reconnaissance systems. Each aircraft can operate 32 hours continuously at an altitude of 18 km, reaching a range of nearly 22,800 km and tracking targets from a distance of 200 km.

Outside of NATO, only Korea and Japan currently order the aircraft. Seoul received its first RQ-4 last month, while Tokyo has only delivered the aircraft since 2022.

The RQ-4 series has been in production since 1998 and plays an important role in US military operations around the world. Iran in June 2019 shot down a US $ 230 million RQ-4N prototype of the US Navy on charges of violating airspace.