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380AEW Article

Deployed Dragon Lady swoops in low for a closer look at counterinsurgency

  • Published
  • By Capt. Cathleen Snow
  • 380th Air Expeditiionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  In J.K. Rowling's fantasy novels about the adolescent Harry Potter, the Hogwarts Coat of Arms is emblazoned with the Latin term, "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus," which translated; means "never tickle a sleeping dragon."

Recently, the U.S. Air Force has awoken a dragon to attack the danger of counterinsurgency or COIN operations from the sky by changing its angle of attack -- getting lower for a closer look.

Lt. Col. Kirt Stallings, commander, 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron at a non-disclosed base here, piloted a U.S. Air Force U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance aircraft historically low over Afghanistan March 30.

"Although it was the lowest flight in a U-2 over the theater of operations, it was still higher than every other aircraft," said Colonel Stallings who like all U-2 pilots dawned a yellow spacesuit before taking to the sky.

The Dragon Lady, a high-altitude, near space, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, was about to be retired four years ago. However, the Pentagon changed direction and the ISR craft has made a comeback, said the commander.

Because of updates and changes in the use of its powerful sensors, it has been very effective in Afghanistan, he said. It continues to gather an array of intelligence used in contingency operations.

"One of the sensors we carry -- the optical bar camera, is a traditional wet-film camera which was used to survey the land after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005. It was also used to survey Haiti after it was devastated by an earthquake in January," said Capt. Matt Nussbaum, U-2 pilot, who is leading an effort to squeeze every drop of usefulness out of every image the Dragon Lady snaps.

"The OBC brings a highly valuable, high-resolution capacity. It can photograph 160,000 square miles in just a few hours," said the captain. "The lower we fly, the higher the resolution. And there's a high demand for that."

Being able to release these images is key because it will help foster positive relations with our coalition partners," said Captain Nussbaum. "High resolution images can be used to assist in farming and urban development (for example). We can share these products with the Afghan Army or the state department."

"(Army) General (David) Patreus (U.S. Central Command Commander) and Lt. Gen. (Michael ) Hostage III, (Air Component, U.S. Air Forces Central Command Commander) said we have to do what we can to fight the COIN fight, which means using our sensor technology in a way we have never used it before," said Captain Nussbaum.

If it means flying lower to get better resolution images to share across the board, then that is what they started, but it doesn't end there.

"There are numerous other areas for application and it's being developed as we speak," Colonel Stallings said.

According to its fact sheet, the U-2 provides near real-time intelligence to support operations across a spectrum of conflicts. Which means the soldiers in ground battles can use the images and audio the U-2s transmit instantly. This is helpful when troops are in a situation where their lives depend on knowing what's on the other side of a mountain or scouting along roads where inexplosive ordinance devices are buried.

"Although with wet-film technology, there is a slight time lapse because the film has to be developed to share, but that's not a hindrance because of how were using the intelligence," said Captain Nussbaum.

The film is sent to Beale Air Force Base, Calif. Where, the 9th Intelligence Squadron processes it then scans the images to the war fighter or coalition partner.

"They are the real hero's in this whole deal," said the captain.

Getting an image to the end user starts with a vision to explore new uses of technology and that starts when the pilot climbs aboard the Dragon Lady to exercise her powers.

"We have a great view, the best in the world," added Colonel Stallings. During the lowest flight in a U-2 over Afghanistan, "everything was crystal clear," he said referring to where the cloud level was.

"I was a little closer to the monster down there -- the package of airplanes that move around," the lieutenant colonel said.

But even when flown at lower altitudes, "we pretty much only have to deconflict with each other," he said.

Colonel Stallings and Captain Nussbaum, along with the U-2s and other personnel from the 99th ERS, are deployed from Beale AFB. As part of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, the 99th ERS supports operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.