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U2 Spy Plane Goes Down In Asia
John Stith
Staff Writer
2005-06-22
 Insider Reports RSS Feed
The U.S. announced a U2 spy plane smashed into the southwest Asian landscape and killing the pilot. The spy plane went down at 22:30 GMT yesterday after surveying Afghanistan to support U.S. operations.
The pilot had completed the mission and was on his way back to base when the crash occurred. The exact location of the wreckage wasn't announced because of the pending investigation and also due to "host nation sensibilities." The U2 spy plane has a colorful past in U.S. history. The plane flew into service in 1955 during the Eisenhower administration. The sleek, cutting edge airplane out flew all others by flying above them. The big edge for this plane, particularly during the cold war, was the altitude. It flies at 70,000 feet, which was 20,000 feet higher than the Soviet planes.
In 1960, The Soviet Union brought down one of the spy planes piloted by Francis Gary Powers causing one of the largest international incidents to that point in the cold war. Powers served 14 months of his 10-year sentences, which ended in a spy swap. The U2 also grabbed detailed photos of the Cuba in 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis.
Southwestern Asia could be substituted for the Middle East. More information is expected to be available as the investigation progresses.
About the Author:
John is a staff writer for SecurityProNews covering cyber security.
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