U.S. Air Force U-2 Spies On Chinese Military Exercises In South China Sea

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China declared on Tuesday that the United States dispatched a U-2 spy plane into “restricted airspace” above the South China Sea to spy on military exercises that included live-fire drills. Here’s how the U.S. is assessing the situation.

Military Machine

In a statement released Wednesday, US Pacific Air Forces confirmed the plane was in the area but was flying in a zone deemed acceptable according to international law and that all of its flying forces will continue to do so.

While the Chinese Defense Ministry added that the aircraft intruded on exercises being conducted by the People’s Liberation Army’s Northern Theater Command, one consultant wasn’t so sure that the country’s argument was convincing. “Flying over rarely—if ever—happens anymore,” said Carl Schuster who used to direct operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center.

CNN

Supporting Schuster’s claim is the massive number of reconnaissance upgrades to the plane which has been in service since the 1950s. Gone are the days when it had to literally fly over an enemy nation to take a picture of military activity.

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That was the case of one U-2 plane which gathered footage of Russian missiles in Cuba before it was shot down in 1962. That incident launched the Cuban Missile Crisis, an event that could have launched the Third World War. But these days, U-2’s equipment includes the latest in electronic, electro-optical and long-range infrared technology. These tools allow the plane to observe enemy activity from greater distances than ever before.

Popular Science

The latest instance of saber-rattling from the Chinese comes on the heels of heightened exercises involving the U.S. and its allies in the Southeast Asia region. In June, the U.S. Air Force sent some B-52 bombers to coordinate drills with Japan’s air force in the South China Sea. In May, the U.S. Navy conducted anti-aircraft laser weapons in the Pacific on board the U.S.S. Portland.

Source: CNNHistory

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By: Gene Kosowan
Title: U.S. Air Force U-2 Spies On Chinese Military Exercises In South China Sea
Sourced From: www.hotcars.com/u-s-air-force-u-2-spies-chinese-military-south-china-sea/
Published Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2020 12:20:05 GMT

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