The U.S. Air Force has been using its Global Hawk unmanned aircraft to fly non-military mapping missions for partner nations, collecting multi-spectral imagery for a variety of environmental monitoring purposes. The missions are meant to assist local governments to monitor deforestation, urbanization, beach erosion, and to aid in counter-drug operations and disaster response. The Air Force flew six ‘eco-missions’ in 2008, and nine are scheduled for 2009.
There is a current mission underway with flights over Central America and the Caribbean. The missions last up to 30 hours, and originate from Beale Air Force Base, Calif. You can read more via this story on Air Force Link.
