Nearly 57 years since it entered service on 1 August 1957,the U-2 spy plane is as relevant today as ever.Despite repeated attempts to schedule its retirement,the US Air Force cannot seem to rid itself of this remarkable Lockheed Martin achievement.
The U-2S is an all-weather tactical reconnaissance aircraft.Designed for minimal weight,this very aspect makes it difficult to fly.The pilots must also wear a partially pressurised space suit that delivers oxygen and protects from a loss of cabin pressure.An hour before takeoff,they must breathe pure oxygen to prepare for the rigourous flight.It's still one of the most exciting rides around.*
The US Air Force 9th Reconnaissance Wing,based at Beale Air Force Base,California, has a fleet of 32 U-2Ss scattered among bases in California;South Korea;Cyprus;and the UAE.Their classified missions may take them to altitudes in excess of 70,000 feet,where they can simaltaneously collect signals,imagery and air samples.The imagery is captured by wet film,electro-optics or radar.A ground view is provided to the pilot by an off the shelf Sony digital video cam,replacing the old periscope.*
The essence of the U-2's usefulness is its superior sensor package that can be targeted at short notice,unlike even the best satellites,coupled with unmatched all-weather capability.The proposed replacement,the expensive RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV drone,just hasn't measured up to the old Dragon Lady yet,pushing her retirement ever farther into the distance.The last projected date for the phaseout to begin was 2016,but Congress isn't happy about that one,either.*
NASA has its own fleet of white U-2s called ER-2s that fly out of the Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards,California.They conduct atmospheric,celestial,terrestrial and oceanic research.*
A U-2 flying over the Los Angeles Basin at high altitude last Wednesday apparently confused the FAA's new air traffic control software at the Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center in Palmdale,California.As a result,some 500 flights out of Los Angeles International Airport had to be grounded for up to an hour while engineers worked the problem.The FAA says mitigation measures have been put in place and software changes will be made to prevent a reoccurrence.The Air Force denies that any signals were being emitted by the spy plane at the time.*
Lockheed Martin(LMT),Sony(SNY)
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