The radio transmits a plane's speed, heading, altitude and GPS coordinates to all other planes similarly equipped, allowing each to map the traffic around it.

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Ed Walby of Northup's High Altitude Long Endurance Systems Enterprise recently told Secure Freedom Radio, the Global Hawk requires fewer personnel for maintenance and operations.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: The Future of Unmanned Flight

With the aircraft's fuel pump, navigation equipment and radio paralysed, the pilots glided the plane to a lower altitude and landed it on an airfield near the village of Izhma in the Komi region, about 1, 500 km (930 miles) from Moscow.

BBC: System failure plane makes 'miracle' landing in Russia