U-2 Spy Jet Close to Retirement but Still UsefulMarch 25, 2010
 The Pentagon was on the verge of retiring the U-2 spy plane four years ago, but Congress blocked the mothballing, saying the plane still had plenty of life and utility. The plane, which was designed to detect nuclear missiles during the Cold War, is now playing a greater role in spotting roadside bombs in the war in Afghanistan, according to an article in The New York Times. The plane can fly at twice the height of commercial jets to evade anti-aircraft missiles, but its sensors can detect spots where dirt has been disturbed to plant roadside bombs. This capability, which outdoes even unmanned drones, is being increasingly harnessed to gather intelligence to fight the Taliban. Leading up to the Marja offensive, several U-2 jets were able to pick out 150 possible buried mines in the road, giving Marines a chance to blow them up as they approached the Taliban stronghold. The newer digital cameras on the planes frequently sent updated photos on 25 key spots where the Marines thought they were vulnerable, according to the article. Another capability that the old U-2 has over modern, lower flying drones: From its mission height of about 70,000 feet or 13 miles above the earth, it can intercept insurgent phone signals that the Afghan mountains would otherwise block, according to the article. But the jet can't avoid retirement forever (military officials told the Times that the earliest the U-2 will be retired is in 2013). Its replacement, the Global Hawk unmanned drone, can fly nearly has high as the U-2 and can stay in the air much longer. The drone has already been taking intelligence photos over Iraq and Afghanistan, but so far lacks the communications interception capabilities of the U-2 jet. A newer, larger Global Hawk model capable of eavesdropping has been delayed. According to the Times, the Air Force is trying to figure out how to add sensors to the other planes to be able to detect roadside bombs. Military officials told the Times that the earliest the U-2 will be retired is in 2013. (Air Force photo (RELEASED)) |
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