spy plane

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Drones Hit Russian Spy Plane, Belarusian Saboteurs Say

Opposition group claims responsibility for damaging Beriev A-50

(Newser) - Belarus opposition leaders said they launched a drone attack against a Russian military surveillance aircraft, successfully damaging it. The head of the exiled organization BYPOL claimed responsibility Sunday for the strike—which he said took place at an airfield near Minsk, the capital of Belarus—on the Telegram messaging app,...

China Blasts US for 'Naked Act of Provocation'

Nation protests Air Force U-2 spy plane that allegedly infiltrated no-fly zone during military drills

(Newser) - Amid a low point in US and China relations, there's now a new point of contention: The latter's Ministry of National Defense is accusing a US Air Force U-2 reconnaissance plane of infiltrating a no-fly zone during live-fire military drills. "This was a naked act of provocation,...

US Spy Plane Dodged Russians —Via Swedish Airspace

US officials report 'incorrect' move

(Newser) - With Russian aircraft nearing, a US reconnaissance plane recently swooped into Swedish airspace, the military says. "The aircraft commander, acting in a professional and safe manner, maneuvered the aircraft to avoid a possible encounter by Russian aircraft," the US European Command says, describing the July 18 incident. The...

Spy Plane Can Fly Anywhere on Earth—in an Hour
Spy Plane Can Fly Anywhere on Earth—in an Hour 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Nov 10, 2013 3:55 PM CST

Spy Plane Can Fly Anywhere on Earth—in an Hour

But aircraft won't be in service until 2030 at the earliest

(Newser) - Lockheed Martin is working on an unmanned spy plane that can travel at six times the speed of sound—meaning that no matter where it needs to go, it can be there in an hour, LiveScience reports. The SR-72, under development in California, is a follow-up to the SR-71 Blackbird,...

Spy Plane Can Be Flown by Pilot—or Act as Drone

2-in-1 aircraft Firebird could save US military money

(Newser) - Northrop Grumman’s latest aircraft isn’t just a drone—nor is it only designed for manned flight. The Firebird, set for unveiling today, can do both with just a few modifications, the Los Angeles Times reports. From 30,000 feet in the air, the spy plane can eavesdrop on...

Iran: We Shot Down Spy Planes
Iran: We Shot Down
Spy Planes
Jan 3, 2011 1:22 AM CST

Iran: We Shot Down Spy Planes

US denies any knowledge of drone downing

(Newser) - Iran officials are boasting that their nation's military shot down two Western spy planes. But no one is claiming the drones. The planes, "capable of taking photographs," were blasted over the Persian Gulf, Iran's air force commander told a local wire service. But a US source says there...

Nixon 'Considered Nuking N. Korea'

Pilot reports he was prepared to drop bomb

(Newser) - President Richard Nixon considered using nuclear weapons against North Korea after its fighter jets shot down an American spy plane in 1969, killing all 31 people on board, according to NPR . A former US pilot also reports that he was ordered to be prepared to drop a nuclear bomb on...

U2 Spy Plane Soars Again in Afghanistan
 U2 Spy Plane Soars 
 Again in Afghanistan 
PULLED FROM SCRAP HEAP
Mar 22, 2010 9:51 AM CDT

U2 Spy Plane Soars Again in Afghanistan

With technology old and new, plane provides valuable intel

(Newser) - A relic of the Cold War era is nothing of the kind, as the US military increasingly uses its aging fleet of high altitude U2 spy planes to conduct real-time surveillance in Afghanistan. Retrofitted with modern electronics, the U2 and its pilot can monitor the battlefield, provide crucial communications to...

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