Airforces

town of Hawija, a mixed Kurdish-Arab
city west of Kirkuk, which had been under
IS control since the previous June.
Between August 2015 and August 2016,
the 380th AEW conducted more than 5,500
precision air strikes in support of various
operations against Islamist terrorism.
Throughout, it relied on the 99th ERS to
ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of its
attacks. On average, the unit’s U-2s and
RQ-4s gathered 12,800 images per month.

A 99th ERS U-2S used the 40-year-old

Senior Spear COMINT system for the last

time during OIR on December 15, 2016.

The sensor was superseded by a COMINT

sensor that is part of the Northrop Grumman

Airborne Signals Intelligence Payload (ASIP)

system installed on the RQ-4B Block 40.

As of early last year, the ‘Dragon Lady’ was

busier than ever over the Middle East. On

February 10, 80-1087 circled over Iraq and

the Syrian border for six hours. Equipped

with SYERS-2 and Senior Span/Spur, it

photographed IS supply routes, ammunition

caches, a vehicle-borne improvised explosive

device (VBIED) factory, an oil well and

nearby oil storage tanks and tankers.

Three days later, 80-1073 – equipped with

Senior Ruby, Senior Span/Spur and ASARS-2

• carried out a multi-intelligence-gathering
  mission over Iraq and Syria. The data gathered
  in real time assisted coalition forces conducting
  air strikes against IS in Raqqa and Mosul.
  Close to Raqqa, 15 strikes engaged nine IS
  tactical units, destroying 13 fighting positions,
  a tactical vehicle and a headquarters. Three
  supply routes and a bridge were damaged
  and one more tactical unit was “suppressed”.
  The third 99th ERS U-2 deployed in theatre
  at that time was 80-1090, with ASARS-2 and
  Senior Span/Spur. On February 14 it was
  sent on a reconnaissance and bomb damage
  assessment (BDA) mission over Iraq and Syria.
  The information obtained was used by the
  USAF to destroy an IS headquarters in the
  course of four air strikes near Raqqa, as well
  as three VBIED facilities, two IED facilities,
  and an IS-held building near Mosul in Iraq.
  Last October 12 another experienced
  U-2 pilot completed his final flight in the
  type. Capt Jon (surname withheld for
  security reasons) flew 80-1096 equipped
  with ASARS-2 and Senior Span/Spur from

Above: The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing’s U-2S 80-1087 launches from Al Dhafra in Feb ruary 2017.
USAF/SrA Tyler Woodward Right: The unmistakeable shape of a 99th ERS U-2S landing after an Operation
Inherent Resolve mission in February 2017. USAF/SSgt Matthew B Fredericks

Maj Ryan completes the pre-fl ight tradition of ‘greeting’

his aircraft before fl ying a sortie in support of Operation

Inherent Resolve. USAF/Senior Airman Tyler Woodward

“Our maintainers

are proud to be part

of such a unique

history and such a

magnifi cent aircraft.”

70

U-2 in the Middle East

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