US Spy Plane Crashes In Iran

[Verizon]

Re: US Spy Plane Crashes In Iran

I think our brave taliban mujaheedin brought down the U2 using their ultra modern donkey powered catapults.

[mAd_ScIeNtIsT]

Re: US Spy Plane Crashes In Iran

@Ohioguy

Maddy,

I live in Newport RI. We no longer need Submarines either. Yet we continue to produce new subs, 1) because we can, and 2) to keep an industry working and available incase there is a future need. I can absolutely guarantee you that nobody closed down a legendary manufacturer of high tech aircraft. The f117 was first operational in 1982, and was publicly acknowledged in 1988, and displayed in 1990. What you are essentially saying is that the US has built no clandestine aircraft in 25 years? That is hopelessly naive.

No, new submarines ARE very important. They are now one of the primary means of global force projection through being able to launch cruise missiles from safety. The USA would lose its position of geopolitical dominance were its means of force projection diminished.

Countries need new subs for the same reason that families need new cars - older ones are less safe and less reliable and less capable.

Geopolitical leadership can only be maintained through having superior forces to any potential rival.

But you need just superior forces … not ultra-superior like the SR-71.

[CheGuvera]

Re: US Spy Plane Crashes In Iran

@Ohioguy

Maddy,

I live in Newport RI. We no longer need Submarines either. Yet we continue to produce new subs, 1) because we can, and 2) to keep an industry working and available incase there is a future need. I can absolutely guarantee you that nobody closed down a legendary manufacturer of high tech aircraft. The f117 was first operational in 1982, and was publicly acknowledged in 1988, and displayed in 1990. What you are essentially saying is that the US has built no clandestine aircraft in 25 years? That is hopelessly naive.

The next generation spy planes and for that matter combat planes (UCAV) would all be unmanned…There is no need to put a pilot into a plane, endanger his life and then deal with the diplomatic fallout in case he is shot down. Plus today’s satellite and the advanced sensors that these sats employ make obsolete the need to send manned aircraft over enemy territory to spoof and spy…Therefore, this Aurora aircraft theory is a hogwash to say the least…at least the notion that its deployed is rather ludricous…

Plus CIA/Pentagon is too busy investing in HUMINT to fight the future and on-going asymmetrical threats, then to invest in bulky, heavy, cold war era systems that are of no need in todays threat environment…And Rummy, has been on the forefront of cancelling one antiquated weapons system after another…e.g. Crusader…

[Ohioguy]

Re: US Spy Plane Crashes In Iran

Sorry boys. Not buying it. The F117 was first flown in 1982. The B2 bomber in 1988. So for the last 17 years we have made no new clandestine aircraft? Sorry, you have no idea of the institutional mindset of the Pentagon. For the B2 to have been produced by 1988, it would have has to have been on the drawing boards 10 years earlier, so even though it flew in 1988, the technology is strictly late 70's. So what was being planned in the 1980's while Reagan, (who authorized the largest military build up in history) was in office, and then Bush I (who was the former head of the CIA) were in office?(Rumsfeld did not arrive til 2000.) Am I to believe that during the 80's and 90's there were no new breakthoughs, and no new programs funded? Not likely.

I agree that unmanned vehicles will be far more common in the future. But satellites still fly predictable orbits, have limited maneuverability, and limited life spans. Current UAVs are slow and would take a long time to respond to a crisis, and the Pentagon is still oriented towards planning for a crisis. No, my bet is that we have one or two planes that are still classified that are generations ahead of the SR-71.

Now what crashed and where? Who knows? The Pentagon is certainly "outfront" on this, which makes me think that there is more here than meets the eye.

[mAd_ScIeNtIsT]

Re: US Spy Plane Crashes In Iran

Plenty of planes would have been developed after the F-117 and B-2. I am 100% sure that all of them will have been scrapped once the geopolitical climate changed.

[Reza_Pahlavi]

Re: US Spy Plane Crashes In Iran

Is Bush doing a Jimmy Carter in Iran?

[pyarilclarki]

Re: US Spy Plane Crashes In Iran

@Reza Pahlavi

Is Bush doing a Jimmy Carter in Iran?

atleast bush is decent then jimmy:D