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| Afghanistan |
| U-2 Lives On |
| 2010-03-23 |
| Another aircraft with a new lease on life is the venerable U-2 spy plane. The Pentagon has been trying to retire the "Dragon Lady" for more than five years, planning to replace the high-altitude reconnaissance platform with UAVs, primarily the RQ-4 Global Hawk. But delays in the Global Hawk program--and the demonstrated value of the U-2--have pushed back the Dragon Lady's departure date. And an embedded citation from - of all places - the N Y Times. "Because of updates in the use of its powerful sensors, it has become the most sought-after spy craft in a very different war in Afghanistan. As it shifts from hunting for nuclear missiles to detecting roadside bombs, it is outshining even the unmanned drones in gathering a rich array of intelligence used to fight the Taliban." Of course, the 548th will live on after the Dragon Lady's retirement. But that date keeps getting pushed back; the Air Force now says the first aircraft will head for the Bone Yard in 2013, but if problems with Global Hawk persist, some U-2s could be flying into the later years of this decade. Not bad for a spy plane that made its first flight in 1955. |
| Posted by:Glenmore |
| #1 Twas only last Month or so there was talk of converting LR B52's into BUFF UV DRONES. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-03-23 19:18 |