I thought the Blackbird (SR-71) had long since replaced the U 2.
Officially the 71 has been retired, and they can’t get spare parts for it anyway. But I’m told that may not necessarily be the case.
What is the preferred plane for reconnaissance then?
[What is the preferred plane for reconnaissance then?]
U-2’s do the basic work if there are no modern SAM sites.
IIRC, Ben Rich noted that a U-2 was just an F-104 Starfighter with much, much longer wings. And no afterburner; I’m guessing they disabled it because it would rip the wings off.
Probably one of those black triangles that do the other!
A satellite.
U2, RQ-4, MQ-1, MQ-9 and satellites...
The U-2 because it is much much cheaper to operate. Satellites perform most of the photo reconnaissance; and, the U-2 is used whenever an unscheduled visit is preferred or whenever satellite tracks are not optimal.