OSD, Air Force rethink U-2 retirement strategy, may slip '07 phase out

Posted on: Apr. 11th, 2006 || Source: aimpoints.hq.af.mil | E-mail Article | Print Article

The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and Air Force are reconsidering the plan reflected in the service's FY '07 budget request to begin retiring the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft starting next year, senior officials of both organizations told a House oversight panel last week.

"We may, in fact, have to modify the budget submission that you have before you," Letitia Long, deputy undersecretary of defense for Policy, Requirements and Resources in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, told the House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee on April 6.

The Air Force proposed retiring its U-2 fleet starting in FY '07 as part of the FY '07 to FY '11 spending proposal that it submitted to the Congress in early February. Under the plan, the service would phase out three U-2s next year en route to divesting itself from the entire fleet of more than 30 aircraft in FY '11. In its place would step the Northrop Grumman [NOC] RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft to perform high-flying imaging and signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection missions when equipped with similar sensors.

However, due to concerns of combatant commanders that a SIGINT- collection gap may emerge during the transition, OSD and Air Force are re-examining the issue, she said. "Yes, there is concern," she acknowledged, when asked by subcommittee Chairman Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) "We understand the concern."

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