U-2 carrier landing tests

Beefy McGee

Beefy McGee

Well-Known Member
Last edited:
I think it's funny that they thought it was necessary to do testing to see if that thing was suitable for carrier operations.
:)
Ok, maybe they were just figuring out some emergency landing stuff?
 
Beep said:
I think it's funny that they thought it was necessary to do testing to see if that thing was suitable for carrier operations.
:)
Ok, maybe they were just figuring out some emergency landing stuff?
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Both launch and recovery were tested for this as well as C-130s. The U2 idea was it would open up options for launch and recovery sites to get at places once thought out of reach to standard recon flights.

They also launched OV-10 Broncos off Tarawa class Amphib carriers. I'm not aware of any effort to make those recoverable, it was seen as a way to have the very particular mission set of the OV-10 be able to deploy amphibiously to the beach to support the Marines.
 
Lawman said:
The U2 idea was it would open up options for launch and recovery sites to get at places once thought out of reach to standard recon flights.
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There's an under-story here: the Air Force was receiving a fair bit of funding and support for the U-2 program as a result of the Air Force's participation. Meanwhile, the Navy largely did not have a national intelligence (as different from a defense intelligence) mission. This Air Force-CIA relationship would continue in the OXCART (A-12 then SR-71), CORONA (wet-film satellite), and KEYHOLE programs (digital download imagery satellites). Today, the majority of National Reconnaissance Office workers are from the Air Force and CIA. It's quite ironic: in my view, the Air Force is bigger than the Air Force (if that makes any sense).
 
hook_dupin said:
There's an under-story here: the Air Force was receiving a fair bit of funding and support for the U-2 program as a result of the Air Force's participation. Meanwhile, the Navy largely did not have a national intelligence (as different from a defense intelligence) mission. This Air Force-CIA relationship would continue in the OXCART (A-12 then SR-71), CORONA (wet-film satellite), and KEYHOLE programs (digital download imagery satellites). Today, the majority of National Reconnaissance Office workers are from the Air Force and CIA. It's quite ironic: in my view, the Air Force is bigger than the Air Force (if that makes any sense).
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Oh totally. Networking is key.

Works the opposite for the EWO world since the Air Force (outside its bomber fleet and a few special airplanes) has all but removed it's self from that world when compared to the robust ground EWO side or the Navy/Marines. Same could be said for the Navy being the only game in town for Nuclear Engineering.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
hook_dupin said:
CORONA (wet-film satellite), and KEYHOLE programs (digital download imagery satellites).
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Just as a side note, not all the Keyhole satellites were digital. In fact, the current Optical Bar Camera in the U-2 traces lineage back to the OBC used in the KH-9.
 
NovemberEcho said:
If you ever get the chance to watch a U2 land, do it. And if somehow you can get to ride in one of the chase vehicles, jump at it.
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Looks cool from this perspective, too.

Short%20Final_zpsqghlwcbl.jpg
 
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