US spy plane crashes in SW Asia

[pshamim]

Was it the SA-2 SAM which shot down the Aircraft ???

By the way when will U-2 be retired, it has become so old more than 40 years.
I think high atltitude UAV Global hawk must take over the Job of the U-2.

Ajay,
To this date, how Gary and his U-2 were shot down is shrouded in mystery. It is said that U-2 was shot down by a SAM. However, the plane was constructed to fly at an altitude which was not reachable by any SAM in the Soviet inventory;

The other theory is that Gary was flying at much lower altitude and thus shot down by the ground fire. This theory is also suspect as the on such a mission, U-2 was supposed to fly at the highest ceiling it could to avoid ground fire (SAM),

The third theory is that there was a bomb on board the plane. Not palusible as Gary could never survive a bail out at such a high ceiling;

Fourth mystery is a claim by a Soviet pilot that he was instructed to ram his jet into the U-2. Not confirmed by any one including the KGB documents;

Fifth theory was that Mig-25 was responsible for shooting down the plane but that is impossible as the MiG-25 didn't make its first flight until 1964.

The 6th and most plausible theory is that U-2's engine stopped and would not restart even at 30,000 ft suggesting that something was wrong with the hydrogen-injection system. When engine could not be restarted, Powers had to bail out and let the aircraft crash down to to Earth.

A system on board the plane would have destroyed the plane with its sophisticated cameras, but Gary admitted later on that he never engaged the system to self destruct for which he was harshly criticized.

Evidently, the U-2 is one of the cold war era assetts that are being used today. The modern version is 40 percent larger, and far more advanced than the original U-2 was built in 88 days at Lockheed Martin's SkunkWorks facility in California.
The new plane now carries many types of high-tech equipments. These include high-resolution radars and electro-optical sensors that can operate in an all weather situations. They can see and hear through clouds from hundreds of miless away. It carries a pod on the top of the plane which beams information off a satellite in real-time to its base thousands of miles away.

Hope this helps.

 

[highsea]

The U2 gives you flexibility and loiter time that you can't get with a satellite. It also gives you resolution and COMINT that you can't get with a UAV (at least a predator). The reports all say that the U2 was supporting OEF, and considering that there is a large ongoing operation right now, I imagine that's the truth, FWIW.

It's not like al-qaeda or the Taliban are in posession of high altutude SAM's, so the threat level is low. This is not the case with Iran, so it's pretty unlikely the U2 was spying on Iran. We have Global Hawks and Satellites that are better suited for that. I mean, really. If Cuba could shoot down a U2 in 1962, does anyone think Iran would be unable to do the same today?

The plane crashed, unofficially near it's base in the UAE. It may have even been during the landing, we don't know. The U2 is probably the most difficult AC to land that the US operates, because you have to kill the engines to get the plane to settle.

Regardless, we know about as much as we ever will. A U2 crashed and the pilot was killed. It's highly unlikely that any additional details will be released. End of story.

 

[pshamim]

My apologies! I thought Ajay wanted to know about whether Gary Powers was shot down bt a SA-2, so the long post.


Regarding the latest crash, I agree with Highsea that the plane may have crashed during the landing. Unlike landing other aircrafts, pilot of a U-2 needs help in landing due to a very limited field of vision. Like the space shuttle, the U-2 is difficult to land, and the pilot can’t gauge his height above the runway.
Landing the U-2 is a team effort. When landing the U-2, the help is either provided by a trailing aircraft or an automobile acting as "Mission Control" and driving behind the landing aircraft and tells pilot how far he may be off the runway and guide him down to a safe landing..

 

[adsH]

Yeah i would imagine the Global hawk would replace the U2 in the near future. It offers sophisticated Unteathered Flight (At times) I believe the global Hawk would be a better option then any-other platfrom. Endurance would be limited to the Platforms refueling and other physical issues.

The fact that you don't need a pilot means you can pack inn more fuel more equipment and can obviously have the AC in air longer. the AI navigation system recently tested was obviously the first step.

 

[highsea]

My apologies! I thought Ajay wanted to know about whether Gary Powers was shot down bt a SA-2, so the long post...

pshamin, my post wasn't directed at you, but A Khan who was wondering why the U2 was still being used. You're correct that the events surrounding the Powers shootdown are still shrouded in mystery. I imagine they will stay that way for some time. The most likely scenario, imo, is an engine shutdown, which would cause him to descend for a restart, but it is all speculation. The documents from the investigation are published on the CIA website for anyone interested:

http://www.foia.cia.gov/powers.asp

 

[ajay_ijn]

I mean, really. If Cuba could shoot down a U2 in 1962, does anyone think Iran would be unable to do the same today?

There was difference between that day and today.
1962 was peak cold war times and Soviets could have supplied Cuba with latest SAM systems.
But technology has become advanced for US now,Advanced recon systems etc and at the same time after soviet collapse third world countries had the same old SA-2/3/6/8 etc.

But still i think that U-2 needs to be retired,it has become very old.
And must be replaced by Global Hawk

 

[gf0012-aust]

But still i think that U-2 needs to be retired,it has become very old.
And must be replaced by Global Hawk

Good grief! Why do you think that is so? THe USAF bases it's platforms on requirements.

GH is unable to fulfill all the roles of the U2-TR series. Thats why it's still critical as part of the mix.

Unmanned BAS is still a long way away from replacing manned solutions. It's why they're complimentary assets.

 

[umair]

WRT the Gary Powers episode, I remember reading another theory that an Afghan KGB operative working as a Pakistani Tech(you know sleeper agents etc) jiggied with the altimeter of the U2. I probably think this is just a load of Bollocks as no PAF tech would have been allowed anywhere near the U2.

 

[gf0012-aust]

WRT the Gary Powers episode, I remember reading another theory that an Afghan KGB operative working as a Pakistani Tech(you know sleeper agents etc) jiggied with the altimeter of the U2. I probably think this is just a load of Bollocks as no PAF tech would have been allowed anywhere near the U2.

I'd agree that its bollocks. The U2's were the most tightly guarded assets outside of CONUS at one stage. They were held in their own revetment areas and to even work on them required new security classifications. There is no way even Americans could have even got to them without the right security clearances.

 

[SABRE]

I have seen some documentries on U2. Many experts say that it is one of the most complicated AC specialy when it comes to landing the AC. The accident could have been because of the engine trouble while landing.

Since we are talking abt U2 it reminds of another AC SR-71 Black Bird. Highsea is US still flying it or not? I think it was better AC than U2..I think.

Mean while can any one tell me whats this AC...looks like a U2

 

[highsea]

No, we're not flying Blackbirds any longer. The last 4 flying AC were transferred to NASA, around 1998, IIRC.

The AC in your pic is the Convair XB-46, circa 1947. There was only one built, it lost out to the North American B-45 in the competition for the US Army Air Force's first all jet powered bomber.