can't say i'm surprised in the least. they've probably got plenty of toys flying right next to the ukrainian border soaking up everything they can get their greedy little hands on.
U-2/SR-71/spy planes fill a unique niche that was never filled.
satellites are low (in comparison) level of detail, very slow to get on site, infinite range
drones are high level of detail, can get on site in a reasonable amount of time, but very limited range
spy planes are high level of detail, fast to get on site, very high range
so basically, when you want to get eyes on something fast that's far away there's nothing quite like a spy plane. There's also other things to consider like payloads that satellites can't do, e.g., electromagnetic spectrum spying
and I'll just add, if the SR-71 was still funded, you bet it would be flying almost constantly above the border of Ukraine or over the black sea. The thing could be used as a floating antenna to suck up EM spectrum emissions and beam them back to a ground station 2000 miles away, and I suspect that's what OP's U-2 is doing
>floating antenna to suck up EM spectrum emissions
That's probably what pic rel is doing when flying oddly shaped patterns over the baltic republics. > marry that sigint with something like a J-STARS and you've got a nice targeting platform
i meant spy planes are flexible and you can swap the payload out as the mission requires, the SR-71 had some absurd number of payload bays to mix and match equipment
>you can cut down a tree with sniper fire
I can attest to that, certainly more entertaining than a chainsaw. The chainsaw is a bit easier on the shoulder though.
There's not actually any reason you can't use a drone for the same purpose as the U-2 other than worries over jamming and embarrassments like the RQ-180, which was purely an issue of clinically moronic operation and shouldn't have occurred if anybody was doing their job
The only actual, reasonable use is if you want to do it in a very public space and don't want to show off your new special drone to photographers
Sattelites are so high they loose the sense of depth and can be fooled with 2d camo laid flat on top of things. Planes are used to photograph things at angle.
In addition to what everyone else has said, satellite's orbits are very predictable. You can just hide your secret war crime stuff when you know it's gonna be overhead
Nice. The U2 article is a good read; I'd just thought these were retired but per thread, there's a niche use case here for things that can flight at very high altitudes. Article states they've also looked at AI, and unmanned versions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_U-2
Other eternal aircraft in pic related (B52, C130, KC135, C5) In a lot of ways, these aircraft designs cover a use case that doesn't change that much, and basic physics that define flight (lift/drag/gravity) aren't going to change, so you update engines (thrust) and make the controls more modern so it's easier to control.
One of reason I thought U2 had been set aside was it operates in a very narrow window of "flyability." The stall and Never Exceed speeds are only 10 mph apart from each other. But I guess that's where modern controls come in, and help, in present day.
It truly is, that is what really surprised me when I saw one with my own eyes some years ago. You see the pictures on the internet and may think "uhh it's a big plane I guess" but then you see the real thing and it's like "holy shit that is a big plane". The wingspan is no joke, it feels so brittle, like a plane drawn by a six year old
I had a model one as a kid. It looked weird.
Came with little wheeled prop ups for the wing tips, to keep them from dragging on ground for take off fuly fueled.
Kurwa, a shitty rock band just flew over my house
U2 were fricking amazing all the way up to Achtung Baby
After that, yeah they plummeted into the sewer pits
can't say i'm surprised in the least. they've probably got plenty of toys flying right next to the ukrainian border soaking up everything they can get their greedy little hands on.
Me too?!
uoooh
granny belly is not erotic
It's a vampire.
Fist this war, then Bono? Havent the people of Ukraine suffered enough? WIll they finally be pushed over the Edge?
>Fist this war, then Bono? Havent the people of Ukraine suffered enough? WIll they finally be pushed over the Edge?
Bono is a war crime.
>the edge
Ayyyy
I didn't know they were even still flying those things. Didn't satellite kill the use case?
U-2/SR-71/spy planes fill a unique niche that was never filled.
satellites are low (in comparison) level of detail, very slow to get on site, infinite range
drones are high level of detail, can get on site in a reasonable amount of time, but very limited range
spy planes are high level of detail, fast to get on site, very high range
so basically, when you want to get eyes on something fast that's far away there's nothing quite like a spy plane. There's also other things to consider like payloads that satellites can't do, e.g., electromagnetic spectrum spying
and I'll just add, if the SR-71 was still funded, you bet it would be flying almost constantly above the border of Ukraine or over the black sea. The thing could be used as a floating antenna to suck up EM spectrum emissions and beam them back to a ground station 2000 miles away, and I suspect that's what OP's U-2 is doing
>floating antenna to suck up EM spectrum emissions
That's probably what pic rel is doing when flying oddly shaped patterns over the baltic republics.
> marry that sigint with something like a J-STARS and you've got a nice targeting platform
That looks super fricking expensive.
It looks super fricking rad you mean.
>T-those are your tax dollars
Hell yeah they are.
I just realized U2 must have a GIGANTIC antenna.
>payloads that satellites can't do, e.g., electromagnetic spectrum spying
i meant spy planes are flexible and you can swap the payload out as the mission requires, the SR-71 had some absurd number of payload bays to mix and match equipment
You can cut down a tree with sniper rifle, but why should you if there's a chainsaw in garage.
Overwhelming majority of military coms will happen in HF ( AM bands ).
>you can cut down a tree with sniper fire
I can attest to that, certainly more entertaining than a chainsaw. The chainsaw is a bit easier on the shoulder though.
Classic
There's not actually any reason you can't use a drone for the same purpose as the U-2 other than worries over jamming and embarrassments like the RQ-180, which was purely an issue of clinically moronic operation and shouldn't have occurred if anybody was doing their job
The only actual, reasonable use is if you want to do it in a very public space and don't want to show off your new special drone to photographers
You mean the RQ-170 Iran incident? Not much at all is known about RQ-180, the "White Bat".
Sattelites are so high they loose the sense of depth and can be fooled with 2d camo laid flat on top of things. Planes are used to photograph things at angle.
Nah, you just need two images or radar and you can estimate height.
In addition to what everyone else has said, satellite's orbits are very predictable. You can just hide your secret war crime stuff when you know it's gonna be overhead
U-2 like the B-52 is eternal.
Nice. The U2 article is a good read; I'd just thought these were retired but per thread, there's a niche use case here for things that can flight at very high altitudes. Article states they've also looked at AI, and unmanned versions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_U-2
Other eternal aircraft in pic related (B52, C130, KC135, C5) In a lot of ways, these aircraft designs cover a use case that doesn't change that much, and basic physics that define flight (lift/drag/gravity) aren't going to change, so you update engines (thrust) and make the controls more modern so it's easier to control.
One of reason I thought U2 had been set aside was it operates in a very narrow window of "flyability." The stall and Never Exceed speeds are only 10 mph apart from each other. But I guess that's where modern controls come in, and help, in present day.
Thats just preperations. What will following might be really surprising though. And no it's not NOOOKS or RoDsFromGod
Neat.
Foreign planes over Polish soil - again.
They'll never learn.
For me, it's the Joshua tree, followed by the unforgettable fire
For me, it's the Negativland cover of "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" with the outtakes of Casey Casem swearing
That's a big plane
bump
>5 quotes
Way to frick up.
THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS
4u
UUUU
It truly is, that is what really surprised me when I saw one with my own eyes some years ago. You see the pictures on the internet and may think "uhh it's a big plane I guess" but then you see the real thing and it's like "holy shit that is a big plane". The wingspan is no joke, it feels so brittle, like a plane drawn by a six year old
I had a model one as a kid. It looked weird.
Came with little wheeled prop ups for the wing tips, to keep them from dragging on ground for take off fuly fueled.
U2
IV V
Mmm tube pizza
Nice
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY
Our president and pm are on their way to states...something funny might be cooking up.
Looks like a Beriev S-13 to me
Frick Bono
Why not use satellite, I don't understand???
Apart from all the things already said
Cloudy with a chance of snow makes a lot satellites pics useless
ALL IS QUIET
ON NEW YEAR'S DAY
War is an epic album. One of the best rock album ever
Sadly today U2 is just a pretentious band
Bono's biddy