U2 Spyplane Crashed

[CruddyLeper]

The military is offering a few more details about the U2 spy plane crash that killed a US pilot last night.

A Pentagon spokesman in Washington says a US security team is at the crash site in an undisclosed location in southwest Asia. Officials are investigating the cause of the crash.

Military officials say they won't name the country in which the jet went down, "due to host nation sensitivities." Officials say the pilot was on the way back to base after completing a mission in Afghanistan.

The military also won't say where the base is. American U2s operate out of a base in the United Arab Emirates, although the military won't discuss that fact at their host's request.

Just to show I don't totally ignore it

http://www.fox19.com/Global/story.asp?S=3508030

So, where in SW Asia exactly - in a direct line from Afghanistan to UAE.

Any further links welcome. Although I doubt they'll have more info.

 

[Padma]

ummm ...


Wait, I can't tell you anything.

 

[Colonel]

My money is on it being in either Pakistan or Iran which we will be invadeing next month

 

[homeyg]

I didn't even think they used U-2s anymore.

 

[Colonel]

Updated version after they retired the SR-71 due to costs of that plane

 

[h4ppy]

I'm going to guess Pakistan but it could be Iran aswell.

 

[general_kill]

hmm, canada

 

[Provolution]

LOL, the UAE did probably shoot it down since NSA did not pay for the Camel Race TV rights. See the Camel Jockey Story for more.

 

[Provolution]

Where's Bono in all this ? Is he ok ?

 

[CruddyLeper]

Bono is fine. No member of the band was on board, although the pilot was killed.

I didn't even think they used U-2s anymore.

Considering they made about 3,000 of the things it would be a bit silly not to use 'em.

Updated version after they retired the SR-71 due to costs of that plane

Ah, successor to SR-71 Blackbird is SR=91 Aurora. Although still classified so could be called something else.

http://wave.prohosting.com/aurora85/index.html

I'm going to guess Pakistan but it could be Iran aswell.

I reckon Oman. If it was Iran the first we'd have heard about it would be an Al-Jazeera report.

A large proportion of Oman's population is ethnically Iranian, so it could still cause an almighty ruckus.

My money is on it being in either Pakistan or Iran which we will be invadeing next month

Invading? What with, the 5th Montana Cub Scout Brigade?

 

[Harbringer]

If they dont use U2s anymore then what was that flying over my head in Iraq?A U-2, it will be a long time before U-2s go out of service. The lower tech countries tyat weve faced in the last 20 years dont have the planes or anti-aircraft weopons to take them down, granted a country like Britian or Russia does have the power but U-2s are extremely cheap(only 1,000,000 dollars, compare that to an f-15(35 mil) or an f-16(20 mil) and youv got a bargain). Its cost effective and still works on less advanced nations.And the reason we stopped using the SR-71 is because of overheat and lack of weoponry(it moves so fast it is incapable of carrying any kind of ordinance or payload). It also moves so fast that the friction from the air heats its exterior up so much it sometimes takes up to two hours before the pilot can get out because of the extreme heat.

As for this story i think it mite be bogus.

 

[h4ppy]

I reckon Oman. If it was Iran the first we'd have heard about it would be an Al-Jazeera report.

A large proportion of Oman's population is ethnically Iranian, so it could still cause an almighty ruckus.

Why would the plane fly over Oman when just going from UAE to Afganistan would be quicker?

 

[Gelion]

Selling spare parts!!!!!

On a serious note here's the BBC article about this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4119344.stm

 

[Gabryel Karolin]

Swedish newspapers say United Arab Emirates.

Also said US military didnt want to name the location because that country doesnt want to brag about US presence there.

 

[CruddyLeper]

Why would the plane fly over Oman when just going from UAE to Afganistan would be quicker?

To avoid being shot down flying over Iran.

 

[Gabryel Karolin]

Iran can shoot down U2 spyplanes? I doubt it.

 

[CruddyLeper]

Oh? What makes you say that?

They've got operational Tomcats to function as AWACs - spotting the U2s wouldn't be that hard.

They have built IRBMs with ranges of 1,000KMs+.

Why not SAMs that can reach 100,000 feet altitude? I doubt they could do it reliably, but the capability is there.

 

[Bugfatty300]

Iran can shoot down U2 spyplanes? I doubt it.

It would be extremely difficult but no out of the question.

That being said, only two have ever been shot down despite their extensive use. Both times by Russians. Over Cuba and the USSR.

Its a matter of spotting the U2 and then launching missiles like crazy.

I would think the U.S. closely studies and chooses which countries to fly U2s over.

 

[Harbringer]

A U-2S has a ceiling of around 90,000 feet where as a Tomkat has a ceiling of only about 60,000 feet. The only way you could really whack a u-2 when its ceiling is maxed is by having a plane spot it(thats already inthe air) and then launching a heat seeking sam(to hi up for radar guideds). Or the u-2 is swooping for a photo shoot, then(because they would be flying in a straight path and theyre not very manuverable anyway) theyre an easy kill.

So, yes if it were flying low enough it could theoretically be shot down by our Iranian friends, why the hell it would be flying so low as to get shot down by a 30,000 foot SAM i have no idea.

edit:and its not a matter of shoting lots of missiles, you USSUALLY(im not saying always) shoot down fast planes with heat seekers, therefor launching alot of them(even though they have a heading) could confuse them. If you were using radar guideds(the plane would have to be pretty low(15,000) mayby then you could launch a bunch of RGs, but from whative seen even theni would stick with heatseekers, they work so much better than any other kindov missile.

 

[CruddyLeper]

A U-2S has a ceiling of around 90,000 feet where as a Tomkat has a ceiling of only about 60,000 feet. The only way you could really whack a u-2 when its ceiling is maxed is by having a plane spot it(thats already inthe air) and then launching a heat seeking sam(to hi up for radar guideds). Or the u-2 is swooping for a photo shoot, then(because they would be flying in a straight path and theyre not very manuverable anyway) theyre an easy kill.

So, yes if it were flying low enough it could theoretically be shot down by our Iranian friends, why the hell it would be flying so low as to get shot down by a 30,000 foot SAM i have no idea.

No mate. You misunderstood. Iran uses Tomcats as radar spotters - they can be 200km from a U2 and paint it on radar.

Then a ground launched SAM is launched to home in on the emissions. Of course they could use a ground radar to illiuminate it as well.