Airforces

Al Dhafra for an OIR mission. Information
collected was used to assist US Army
AH-64Es and USAF MQ-9As, F-15Es and
B-52Hs that carried out 25 air strikes around
Raqqa. These destroyed nine IS tactical
units, two communications nodes, ten fighting
positions, one vehicle and a supply road, and
suppressed one more fighting position.
Another known U-2 mission during OIR was
carried out from Al Dhafra by 80-1070 last
November 16. The aircraft was equipped
with ASARS-2, Senior Span/Spur and Senior
Ruby. The same day, five air strikes engaged
four IS tactical units and destroyed an IS
vehicle and three explosive hazards near Deir
ez-Zor, eastern Syria. Close to Qayyarah,
in Iraq, three more strikes destroyed three
IS-held buildings. Finally, two strikes near
the Iraqi border town of Rawa destroyed an
IS IED facility and an artillery piece. Most
of these targets were destroyed using
information gathered that day by 80-1070.

Historic milestone
On February 2 last year, one of four surviving
USAF U-2s built in 1968 became the first
example to exceed 30,000 flying hours. Serial
68-10337 followed 68-10329, which achieved
the milestone while serving with the 5th RS the
previous year. For its historic mission, 68-10337
was equipped with ASARS-2A, Senior Span/

Spur and Senior Ruby sensors. It assisted

USAFCENT and its allies in conducting 21

strikes comprising 38 engagements of IS

terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria alone,

coalition forces conducted 16 strikes and 19

engagements with aircraft as well as artillery.

Thanks to information gathered by ‘337’

that day, several IS oil facilities and buildings

were targeted in Syria. Four strikes destroyed

four oil wellheads near Abu Kamal, as well

as two oil storage tanks and an oil pump

jack. Near Al Bab, one strike destroyed four

IS-held buildings. In Raqqa, seven strikes

took out an oil storage tank, an oil barrel, an

oil inlet manifold, an oil separation tank, a

VBIED, a tunnel and a weapons

storage facility. A supply route

was damaged. Near Deir ez-Zor,

four strikes destroyed two

oil pump jacks, an oil tanker

truck and an oil wellhead.

Aircraft ‘337’ was being

flown over Iraq by Maj Ryan

as it passed the 30,000-hour landmark. “It

takes a lot of people to launch and recover

a jet and to keep this going,” Maj Ryan

said. “It’s always been my dream to be an

air force pilot, so to be a part of something

like this is just baffling to me. Today we hit

30,000 hours. I hope it gets 30,000 more.”

Capt Lacey, 380th Expeditionary Aircraft

Maintenance Squadron (EAMXS) assistant

maintenance operations officer, added:

“The mere fact alone that we’re able to

continue flying this aircraft to this day

is an achievement in itself, let alone

fly 30,000 hours on one aircraft.”

He continued: “Maintaining the U-2 is often a

difficult task requiring maintainers from many

specialties. It takes a skilled and dedicated

team to do what these airmen do every

day. They’re so good at what they do, they

make it look a lot easier than it actually is.”

SMSgt Duane, 380th EAMXS U-2

maintenance superintendent, added: “The

accomplishment is extraordinary because

the airframe itself is 48 years old and it is

flying with the most technologically advanced

ISR systems available today.”

He concluded: “Our

maintainers are proud

to be part of such a

unique history and such

a magnificent aircraft.”

A U-2S, fl ying from the 380th Air Expeditionary

Wing, approaches the maintenance hangar at Al

Dhafra after the fi nal sortie with the Senior Spear

mission system, on December 15, 2016. This

event was celebrated with a traditional water

cannon salute and a greeting party consisting of

the crews that maintained the system. USAF/TSgt

Christopher Carwile

AFM

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #362 MAY 2018 // 71