EDWARDS Air Force BASE, Calif. - The Edwards flightline is the scheduled return landing site for Prototype Global Hawk Air Vehicle No. 3, an unmanned aircraft that has flown 4,245 hours in support of combat operations for Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and the Combined Task Force-Horn of Africa mission.

This landing event marks the end of a four-year deployment of a contributor to the global war on terrorism and paves the way for the future of unmanned aircraft systems. Through the combination of technology and experienced operators on the ground, this prototype was able to survey vast geographical areas and provide pinpoint accuracy about enemy locations, program officials said.

Scheduled landing time is 11 a.m. Feb. 20, but that could change due to weather conditions.