combat aircraft

electro-optical/infra-red (EO/IR), synthetic

aperture radar (SAR) and high- and low-

band SIGINT sensors. The Block 40 RQ-4Bs

that are also here have the Northrop

Grumman AN/ZPY-2 Multi-Platform

Radar Technology Insertion Program

(RTIP) active electronically scanned array

radar, which makes them what Fox calls a

‘mini-J-STARS’.

The squadron’s U-2 high-altitude

reconnaissance aircraft are tasked all over

the theater. Fox talks about the U-2 with

genuine a ection. ‘The U-2 is an older

aircraft but its sensors are being constantly

upgraded. We got the [General Electric

F118-GE-101 turbofan] engine and ‘glass’

cockpit upgrade, plus the more recent

CARE [cockpit altitude reduction e ort]

brought the cockpit altitude down.’

The U-2 community has been under

threat of retirement for several years,

which caused some support issues. It

is now safe until at least 2022, bringing

some welcome stability.

The U-2S is can be equipped with

multiple sensors including wet

 lm optical bar cameras, electronic

intelligence packages, the Advanced

Synthetic Aperture Radar System 2A

(ASARS-2A) and Senior Year

Electro-optical Reconnaissance System-

2C (SYERS 2C).

Maj ‘Kip’ is a U-2 pilot in the

squadron. He came to the community

from the C-130 and Gulfstream. ‘The U-2

is di erent to anything else out there,’ he

smiles. ‘Our manning is quite low right

now so we deploy pretty quickly once

we are trained and we deploy

fairly regularly.

Explaining the path to mission

quali cation, ‘Kip’ says, ‘We start with

six  ights in the two-seat trainer and

then take it solo. Then you’re blessed

and spend the rest of the basic course

learning how to  y high.

‘This is a glider with a big engine, so for

landing we have to stall the aircraft at

This image: The

view from the

chase car — the

U-2 pilot receives

instructions from

the pursuing

car to give

accurate height

indications in the

moments before

touchdown.

An RQ-4B Global Hawk exceeds

the 20,000-fl ight hour mark at Al

Dhafra on February 13, 2018.

USAF/A1C D. Blake Browning

The teardrop dorsal Senior Span

antenna atop the U-2’s fuselage is able

to relay some data in near-real time, with

the hook antennas under the fuselage

and ‘super pods’ being used for signals

intelligence (SIGINT).

FEATURE ARTICLE // 380TH AIR EXPEDITIONARY WING

38 August 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net

28-39 Al Dhafra C.indd 38 21/06/2018 17:23