Airforces

primary optical sensor, housed in the elongated

nose — and the Senior Glass communications,

signals and electronic intelligence (COMINT,

SIGINT, ELINT) suite to monitor IS activity

and radio signals. This data was transmitted

to Beale in real time via the prominent Senior

Span/Spur radome on top of the U-2’s fuselage.

Meanwhile, 80-1079 was equipped with an

Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System

(ASARS-2A) in the nose and carried the Senior

Span/Spur pod. For this mission, it was piloted

by Lt Col Jeff Closky, who was making his

last flight on the type after 19 years’ service.

Information gathered by the two aircraft

revealed that IS had captured Syria’s largest

oilfield – al-Omar – from the al-Qaeda-affiliated

al-Nusra Front terrorist group, which apparently

put up no resistance to the attack that day.

By February the following year, OIR was in full

swing and on the 9th of that month a pair of 99th

ERS U-2s took part in two different missions.

One of these was in support of OIR in the Middle

East, while the other took the ‘Dragon Lady’

to Afghanistan. Aircraft 80-1066 and 80-1076

were both configured with the full Senior Glass

Above: A 99th ERS U-2S pilot prepares for take-off in support of a Combined Joint Task Force –

Operation Inherent Resolve mission from Al Dhafra. USAF/SSgt Matthew B Fredericks

Right: SrA Alex, front, and SSgt Ruben, Dragon Aircraft Maintenance Unit, balance the weight of a U-2S

to install pogo wheels for taxying at Al Dhafra in February 2015. USAF/TSgt Marie Brown Below: Aircraft

of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Dhafra: an F-22 is fl anked by examples of the KC-10, E-3, RQ-4

and U-2. The wing is responsible for providing air, space and cyberspace capabilities as directed by

USAFCENT in support of USCENTCOM. US ANG/SSgt Colton Elliott

U-2 in the Middle East

68 // MAY 2018 #362 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com