Global Hawk: the $223 Million Drone That No One Wants, But We Keep Buying
Dina Pérez
The Air Force has looked at its spending in an attempt to cut expensive programs from its budget, and it made a decision to eliminate the production of the often defective and overwhelmingly expensive $223 million drone manufactured by Northrop Grumman called the “Global Hawk.”
Despite the Pentagon’s best efforts, however, this decision has been met with tough oppositionfrom a group of Northrop lobbyists that have successfully convinced Congress to keep the “Global Hawk” in production. This serves as yet another black mark on Congress’s record this year, since by keeping the Global Hawk in flight, it is effectively allowing the national deficit to soar. All the while, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has decided to reduce the number of brass and civilian workers by 20% by 2019.
Whether because of ethics, monetary concerns, or complaints about the poor manufacturing of the drone, most would agree that the “Global Hawk” spells trouble. However, agreements are hardly ever made without an incentive in place — and you can bet that a few people in the Pentagon are getting compensated for making a deal with Northrop.
