A Civil Air Patrol contingent from the North Dakota and Minnesota wings gained insight Aug. 15 into two of the U.S. Air Force’s most strategic aircraft, the B-1B Lancer bomber and the RQ-4 Global Hawk, during a tour of Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota.
The 29 members’ first stop during the visit was the hangar housing the RQ-4 Global Hawk, a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system used primarily for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
Air Force pilots and maintainers briefed the CAP members on the aircraft’s unusual capabilities, including the ability to fly at altitudes above 50,000 feet. It’s one of only two aircraft in U.S. military inventory capable of sustained flight at such altitudes, with the other being the U-2 spy plane.
The visitors noted the Global Hawk’s significantly larger size compared to the MQ-9 Reaper drones visible across the flight line. While the MQ-9 is used for tactical operations, the RQ-4 is treated as a strategic asset because of its range and intelligence-gathering roles.
The tour continued with an up-close look at the B-1B Lancer bomber. These aircraft are temporarily stationed at Grand Forks AFB while Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, undergoes hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades in preparation for the arrival of the next-generation B-21 Raider stealth bomber later this decade. Grand Forks previously hosted B-1s and still includes much of the infrastructure necessary to support the aircraft.
The bombers arrived this winter and are expected to return to Ellsworth in 2026.
The CAP members had the opportunity to examine the aircraft’s bomb bays, engines, and cockpit. Air Force personnel explained that the B-1 fleet was modified to remove its nuclear capability as part of international arms control agreements.
A physical barrier inside the bomb bay prevents the aircraft from carrying nuclear weapons and limits the size of conventional weapons, such as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, carried by the B-2 Spirit. Under treaty obligations, B-1 bombers are subject to annual inspections by Russian officials.
The group next toured the base’s air traffic control tower, where members gained insight into Grand Forks’ critical role in advancing unmanned aircraft operations. The base is a key partner with the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, which spans a wide area across North Dakota and is one of the nation’s premier locations for unmanned aircraft system research and integration.
Unlike many other test sites, unmanned aircraft operating out of Grand Forks are authorized to fly without a manned escort — an exception made possible by the base’s close collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration. The base plays a central role in developing and refining FAA procedures that will shape the future of unmanned flight in national airspace._____Lt. Col. Justin McDowellHeadquartersNorth Central Region
