Pentagon to retire U-2 spy plane

[YYZPICS]

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- A classified budget document approved by the Pentagon Dec. 23 calls for the termination by 2011 of one of the most heavily relied-upon reconnaissance planes in the Iraq war.

The storied U-2 spy plane would commence retirement in 2007 under the strictures of Program Budget Decision, or PBD, 720, according to Pentagon, defense industry and congressional officials familiar with the document

PBD 720 would retire three U-2s in 2007, six in 2008, seven in both 2009 and 2010 and the final 10 in 2011.

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[Chris@YYZ]

what will they be replacing the U2s with? further implementation of UAVs?

[YYZPICS]

I say satellites and UAV's, satellites are very much capable of getting the same pictures without putting men in harms way. So i think there just goin to develop more sophisticated satellites rather then a new aircraft. There is the Aurora that is rumored to exist thow.

[DAL767-400ER]

There is the Aurora that is rumored to exist thow.

The Aurora has been rumored to exist for several decades already, I wouldn't put too much money on it .

[scramjet]

The Aurora has been rumored to exist for several decades already, I wouldn't put too much money on it .

Hmmm, look at the U-2 program, virtually uknown until Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the USSR.

[YYZPICS]

Hmmm, look at the U-2 program, virtually uknown until Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the USSR.

Very ture, im sure something is goin on at area 51

[kcmh]

Very ture, im sure something is goin on at area 51

There is the Aurora that is rumored to exist thow.

Area 51? Aurora? These do not exist, (nothing to see here move along) I have no idea what those are.........

[YYZPICS]

Area 51? Aurora? These do not exist, (nothing to see here move along) I have no idea what those are.........

Off course not, the US government just spent millions of dollars to make a sercet afb in the middlle of the Nevada desert, and put motion sensors and cameras all around, were not doin anything here

[kcmh]

Secert base? White planes with red stripes flying off to nowhere, Nevada. This does not exist. Come'on guys quit fooling with me.

[YYZPICS]

Secert base? White planes with red stripes flying off to nowhere, Nevada. This does not exist. Come'on guys quit fooling with me.

[DAL767-400ER]

Hmmm, look at the U-2 program, virtually uknown until Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the USSR.

Aware of the secret U-2 (and SR-71 and F-117 for that matter). However, what I mean is that the Aurora has been rumored for as many years as the three others have been rumored for combined.

[Chris@YYZ]

Secert base? White planes with red stripes flying off to nowhere, Nevada. This does not exist. Come'on guys quit fooling with me.

hahahahaha yeah those "Janet" planes are going nowhere...

btw, Bruno, the Aurora has been rumored to exist for many years, ever since there was a Gonernment Budget Account named "Aurora", but an Aurora-type plane sure would be cool

[YYZPICS]

hahahahaha yeah those "Janet" planes are going nowhere...

btw, Bruno, the Aurora has been rumored to exist for many years, ever since there was a Gonernment Budget Account named "Aurora", but an Aurora-type plane sure would be cool

Yea, here is a concept of it

[Chris@YYZ]

Yea, here is a concept of it

odd, the concept I saw of it was much more rounded, it looked sorta the designer of the F-22 was on acid when he designed Aurora.....

[YYZPICS]

it looked sorta the designer of the F-22 was on acid when he designed Aurora.....

LMAO