The U-2 was never mothballed. It's been operating continuously since it first flew.
Posted on 02/10/2025 2:53:03 PM PST by Libloather
Some of the US’s most sophisticated spy planes that typically monitor the Chinese and Russians are now flooding the air targeting Mexican drug cartels as part of President Trump’s crackdown, a new report says.
The ultra-hi-tech aircraft include Navy P-8s with advanced radar — and a U-2 originally designed to conduct high-altitude surveillance of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, CNN said Monday.
It’s the first time a U-2 is believed to have been used by the US to root out cartels, military experts told the outlet.
The decked-out spy planes have flown at least 18 missions over the southwestern US and in international airspace near the Baja peninsula for the past two weeks as part of American authorities’ increased surveillance on Mexico’s notorious cartels, the outlet said.
The spy planes flew the missions over 10 days between the end of January and early February as Trump directed the deployment of thousands of additional troops to the border and designated the Mexican cartels as foreign terrorists.
The border spy missions were typically previously done once a month, while the special planes were mainly used to watch for Russian activity in Ukraine or tracking Russian or Chinese submarines, before Trump ramped up the US’s counternarcotic efforts.
Eleven of the flights were conducted using the Navy P-8.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Can also check up on those 10,000 Mexican troops. Are they really there?
Rut-Roh!
This will play out like the last 5 minutes of a Godfather movie.
Terminate their operations with extreme prejudice.
How come Biden never done this? instead he sent Sgt. Kamala Schultz who saw nothing and knew nothing.
Gotta be VERY careful with this to be sure of no mission creep into other areas. Let me be clear: I do support this for now, done this way. But it could be poorly-directed later — we HAVE seen that before...
Gotta keep inetgrity and focus.
Bringing the U-2 out of mothballs? Cool! Now bring the SR-71 out of mothballs to go with the U-2.
Tulsi Gabbard WINS THE CLOTURE VOTE.
Debate will proceed max 30 hrs before full Senate vote, likely Wednesday
,,, run a cost/benefit analysis on the SR71. The P-8s are probably going to deliver sterling results along with satellites.
How about some C-130s with MOABs? Lob a few of those over the fence just to make a point.
You’re no fun! We could fund the SR-71 refurbishment with a few minutes of DOGE savings!
Besides, I’ve only seen SR-71 in static displays. I want to see it fly!
,,, that's the MAGA spirit. Good one!
Oh but they have these super high tech underground labs like on breaking bad we can’t do anything about those they say!!! in a couple weeks I suspect there will be some bunker busters deployed.
SR-71 not appropriate in my opinion. Was designed for pop up quick and be super-fast, shoot your pictures, and run for home. Long “linger” not part of the profile.
P-8, drones, sats, and even balloons are long linger lookers.
I’d also support arming up some drones as quick selective killers. Find a bad guy, confirm, and blow his a$$ away, all in a few minutes.
Teach ‘em what the word “terror” really means. Sudden death from above...
It's cool, saw it takeoff full burner in Oki from about 150 yds.
Don’t get me wrong. I love and deeply respe SR-71, and I’d kike to see us keep a few of them flying on a contingency basis. “Ya never know...”
WAY ahead of its time...
Bitchen A/C...
Surely there is some nearby conservative government that could be color revolutioned into socialism. I dunno, Argentina is down there too.
The A-10 never got put in mothballs, although some tried.
Come to mention them, a few C-130 gunships and a few C-47 Puffs might be nice, too...
The U-2 was never mothballed. It's been operating continuously since it first flew.
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