The battle tested, Cold Warrior, and flimsy U-2 Spy plane is making a comeback. The spyplane was due to retire, Congress said no, and the military has found ways to use her in Iraq and Afghanistan. The plane is now in contact with ground forces and uses the sensors and eyes in the sky to snuff out IEDs and Taliban movements. Pretty interesting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/business/22plane.html?th=&emc=th&pagewanted=all

Wow a government run program that works well, what is the world coming to?

Who said it works well? All it said is that they found a use for a 50 year old spy plane.

ptown_trojans_1 wrote: The battle tested, Cold Warrior, and flimsy U-2 Spy plane is making a comeback. The spyplane was due to retire, Congress said no, and the military has found ways to use her in Iraq and Afghanistan. The plane is now in contact with ground forces and uses the sensors and eyes in the sky to snuff out IEDs and Taliban movements. Pretty interesting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/business/22plane.html?th=&emc=th&pagewanted=all

Whew...For a minute there, I thought you had met my wife online or something.

Cleveland Buck wrote: Who said it works well? All it said is that they found a use for a 50 year old spy plane.

Well the article did say it is the most sought after plane in use in Afghanistan.

and its better and cheaper than building a whole new plane to do the same job.

Footwedge wrote: Whew...For a minute there, I thought you had met my wife online or something.

Wedgie!!! For shame! hahaha

Footwedge wrote:

ptown_trojans_1 wrote: The battle tested, Cold Warrior, and flimsy U-2 Spy plane is making a comeback. The spyplane was due to retire, Congress said no, and the military has found ways to use her in Iraq and Afghanistan. The plane is now in contact with ground forces and uses the sensors and eyes in the sky to snuff out IEDs and Taliban movements. Pretty interesting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/business/22plane.html?th=&emc=th&pagewanted=all

Whew...For a minute there, I thought you had met my wife online or something.

Maybe I have......

The article did not give much reason for congress's rejecting of retiring the U-2. You always wonder if politics are involved in these decisions. Without details it is impossible to know. The article also did not provide a whole lot of detail as to the cost/capabilities vs the Global Hawk. Obviously we have yet to duplicate human intelligence in the cockpit. But these pilots require intensive training as well as possessing tremendous physical endurance and are at greater risk than than most pilots. I was also confused as to why the same sensors that detect IED's were adapted to the U-2 but still in research for others. Not saying Congress's decision on the U-2 was wrong. Just don't have enough information to judge it.

Regardless, the military adapted to what congress gave them and has made successful use out of an "old girl" as you put it.