Why the absolute fuck do we still fly this geriatric piece of shit?

Wrong on both accounts

Because it has a more modular payload than any other ISTAR aircraft and is cheaper than any satellite reposition.

Next question.

>Why the absolute fuck do we still fly this geriatric piece of shit?
Because the ones we're using now were made in the 80s. The AF has a future P-ISR aircraft planned, supposed to be optionally manned. Maybe the Hypersonic aircraft that Lockheed and Boeing want will enter service at some point too.

Because it works?

It unironically still takes better pictures with it's heavy and specialized cameras than all current satellites available.

>Because it has a more modular payload than any other ISTAR aircraft
UPA on the RQ-4 gives it the largest portfolio of sensor payloads of all USAF platforms, why bother writing an incorrect post?

t. zoomer

>USAF predicts it'll be in service until fucking 2050
Source? Everything I've read suggests it's to be retired this year, in favor of using the RQ-4's new sensor upgrades.

>UPA on the RQ-4 gives it the largest portfolio of sensor payloads of all USAF platforms, why bother writing an incorrect post?

Except it can't do them simultaneously.

Which is exactly why Dragon Lady retirement was indefinitely postponed in 2018.

>cheap
>more flexible sensor package

military.com/dodbuzz/2017/05/23/air-force-kills-retirement-date-u-2-spy-plane

Intredasting.

i miss it

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>Lambo is fast
>Prius is cheap

Lol why does anyone drive a Honda lmao retards

>largest portfolio != largest payload

you fucking retard do you think this thing is really rocking 1960s hardware?

its the most cutting edge surveilence shit they update every few years. It can do eveything the global hawk can do and more.

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This. You can't jam a pilot. You can jam the command signal to a UAV.

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Flat earthers in cope mode

Behead all who insult the Dragonlady.

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You can't jam a drone in autonomous mode.

Ok belka

you can jam his instruments and down his aircraft immediately though. just like you would a drone but now you have a dead pilot too

the U-2 is still necessary, but retiring the blackbird was a mistake.

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The only reason the blackbird is retired is because there's some shit that we're not going to know about until the year 2040 that absolutely fucking destroys it in every performance envelope. You know this to be true.

It might even look cooler.

Not really. Unsafe to fly and hugely expensive to operate.

so is the U-2, but upgrades kept it in service.

:^)

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The U-2 isn't really expensive compared to the blackbird and has a more useful niche.
Looks kind of similar to pic related

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when anything is bought by the government it is expected to perform X amount of actual work.
the current U-2 fleet is not that old by military airframe standards (current block was bought in the late 80s) and sees less and less use thanks to increasing drone and sat usage.
besides as others have said it can't be jammed or hijacked as easily as early drone blocks, so it was a nice backup to keep around.

All the controls are cable operated numbnuts, good luck downing it with any form of EW, it's a 1950s design.

>thinking EW 'downings' have anything to do with control actuators

This

What are you on about? How can you EW a conventionally piloted aircraft into the ground?

As long as speed, altitude, and heading work fine a pilot should be able to bring it at least to friendly territory.

>what can it do that a uav can't
Have people in it?

Fly at 70,000 feet? RQ-4 can only go to 60,000

>Jam his instruments
>Jamming ram air intakes and gyros

Ok retard

Those fuckers were flying sex. Just look at them. Hnnnng.

>U2 in service till 2050
>mfw people think the SR71 wasn't replaced by an even crazier black project because muh satellites

>Why the absolute fuck do we still fly this geriatric piece of shit?

>Cheaper than satellites
>Able to operate in heavy EW/Jamming areas that UAV's cant
>Looks cool
>Modular payload
>Cheap maintence costs
>keeps pilots happy that they get to fly a real plane
>like most things the USAF has, it still works well enough, it makes no sense to replace it when it still performs more than adequetly, its more cost effective to maintain the fleet, drones are expensive
>because fuck you

I imagine surveillance is one of the easiest things to automate. You just program a flight path and where to take pictures. It doesn't need to ID targets or know who not to kill like in a combat role. Can't jam/hack a drone that isn't receiving radio commands.

I imagine the U2 airframe lasts a long time since they are flown so gentle. They aren't pulling G's or carrying big payloads. They just soar gracefully.

I know, but look at the one on the right.

Peed all over the place.

That's my fetish.
>tfw no autistically shy high speed stealth aircraft planegirl waifu

Hurr but it's a fish angle lens! They fake this stuff to control you!

That's the pisser tho