Weeks after having shot down a Chinese balloon off its coast, the United States government released yesterday (22) a photo showing a very different point of view of the aerostat. The selfie was taken by the pilot of a U-2 Dragon Lady, a legendary US Air Force (USAF) spy aircraft.
At least two U-2S, employed on missions to collect signals and electronic emissions, were successfully used to obtain more detailed information and images of the huge balloon, which arrived in North America at the end of January. The balloon, which Washington says was being used for espionage, crossed the United States and was shot down by an F-22 Raptor fighter on 04/02, in Myrtle Beach.
The photo had already leaked before on Tuesday (21) through the website dragon lady today, which covers Lockheed U-2 history and operations. Developed in the 1950s, this jet came with the mission of spying on the Soviet Union. The ability to fly so high allows the U-2 to fulfill a huge variety of missions, especially reconnaissance.
The U-2S pilot's selfie is impressive, especially in the context of the controversy involving the Chinese balloon, which stirred up discussions between Beijing and Washington. However, the high-resolution image released by the Pentagon provides even more details about the object and its payload, whose size was equivalent to an Embraer ERJ-145, according to a US general.
The equipment consists of two sets of eight solar s. In the middle of the structure were a series of antennas, including a larger one in the center, white in color. Also in the central part there seem to be small propellers, driven by electric motors. This would explain the government's reported maneuverability and needs for large photovoltaic s, as noted by the The War Zone.
The shadow of the U-2 projected against the balloon also raised questions as to whether the version of the aircraft used on this flight in question was a two-seat TU-2S used for training. In this case, it is possible that the aviators captured even more detailed images with better cameras and lenses, in addition to the U-2's own set of equipment. The planes may also have collected valuable signals of the balloon's intelligence - that is, whether it was radiating any electromagnetic emissions.
50s spy plane
