Indiza yokuhlola yebutho lomoya esezingeni eliphezulu nelisebenza kuzo zonke izimo zezulu, i-U-2 Dragon Lady, muva nje ikhiphe umkhankaso wayo wokugcina wekhamera ye-optical strip eBill Air Force Base.
Njengoba owesibili echazile. ULieutenant Hailey M. Toledo, iPhiko lesi-9 Lokuphenya Izindaba Zomphakathi, esihlokweni esithi “Ukuphela Kwesikhathi: Ama-U-2 ku-OBC Mission Yokugcina,” umkhankaso we-OBC uzothatha izithombe eziphakeme emini futhi uzoshintshela phambili kokusekelwa. Indawo yokulwa inikezwe yi-National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Lesi sinyathelo sivumela umprosesa ukuthi ahlanganise ifilimu eduze neqoqo lokuphenya elidingekayo kulo msebenzi.
U-Adam Marigliani, uchwepheshe wokusekela ubunjiniyela bezindiza eCollins, uthe: “Lo mcimbi uvala isahluko esithathe amashumi eminyaka kuBill Air Force Base kanye nokucutshungulwa kwamafilimu futhi uvula isahluko esisha ezweni ledijithali.”
I-Collins Aerospace isebenze ne-9th Intelligence Squadron eBeale Air Force Base ukulanda izithombe ze-OBC ezivela emisebenzini ye-U-2 emhlabeni jikelele ukusekela izinhloso ze-Air Force.
Umsebenzi we-OBC wasebenza eBill AFB cishe iminyaka engama-52, kanti i-U-2 OBC yokuqala yathunyelwa eBeale AFB ngo-1974. Ithathwe ku-SR-71, i-OBC yaguqulwa futhi yahlolwa ukuze isekele ipulatifomu ye-U-2, yathatha indawo yenzwa ye-IRIS ende. Ngenkathi ubude be-focal be-IRIS obungamasentimitha angama-24 buhlinzeka ngembobo ebanzi, ubude be-focal be-OBC obungamasentimitha angama-30 buvumela ukwanda okukhulu kokuxazululwa.
“I-U-2 igcina ikhono lokwenza imisebenzi ye-OBC emhlabeni wonke kanye namakhono okusebenzisa amandla ashukumisayo uma kudingeka,” kusho uLt. Col. James Gayser, umkhuzi we-99th Reconnaissance Squadron.
I-OBC ithunyelwe ukusekela imisebenzi eyahlukahlukene, okuhlanganisa nokusiza ngesiphepho iKatrina, isigameko sesitshalo samandla enuzi iFukushima Daiichi, kanye nokusebenza kwe-Enduring Freedom, i-Iraqi Freedom, kanye ne-Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.
Ngesikhathi isebenza e-Afghanistan, i-U-2 yayithatha izithombe zezwe lonke njalo ezinsukwini ezingama-90, kanti amayunithi kulo lonke uMnyango Wezokuvikela asebenzisa izithombe ze-OBC ukuhlela imisebenzi.
“Bonke abashayeli bezindiza be-U-2 bazogcina ulwazi namakhono okusebenzisa izinzwa kuzo zonke izinhlobo zemishini nezindawo zokusebenza ukuze kuhlangatshezwane nezidingo zokuqoqa ubuhlakani ezibaluleke kakhulu zomkhuzi wempi wezindawo,” kusho uGeiser. “Njengoba isidingo sezidingo zokuqoqa ezahlukahlukene siqhubeka nokukhula, uhlelo lwe-U-2 luzothuthuka ukuze lugcine ukuhambisana kwempi namakhono ahlukahlukene e-C5ISR-T kanye nezindima zokuhlanganiswa kwe-Air Force.”
Ukuvalwa kwe-OBC eBill AFB kuvumela amayunithi emishini kanye nabalingani ukuthi bagxile emandleni amakhulu ezimo eziphuthumayo, amaqhinga, amasu kanye nezinqubo, kanye nemibono yokuqashwa esekela ngqo inkinga yosongo lokuhamba kancane ebekelwe ukuthuthukisa lonke iPhiko Lokubheka Lomsebenzi le-9th.
I-U-2 inikeza ukuqapha nokuhlola ezindaweni eziphakeme, kuzo zonke izimo zezulu, emini noma ebusuku, ngokusekela ngqo amabutho ase-US kanye namaqembu ahlangene. Inikeza izithombe ezibucayi futhi inika izimpawu zobuhlakani kubenzi bezinqumo phakathi nazo zonke izigaba zengxabano, okuhlanganisa izinkomba zesikhathi sokuthula kanye nezixwayiso, ingxabano ephansi kanye nobutha obukhulu.
I-U-2 iyakwazi ukuqoqa izithombe ezahlukahlukene, okuhlanganisa imikhiqizo ye-radar ye-electro-optical ehlukahlukene, i-infrared kanye ne-synthetic aperture engagcinwa noma ithunyelwe ezikhungweni zokuthuthukiswa komhlaba. Ngaphezu kwalokho, isekela ukumbozwa kwesimo sezulu okunesinqumo esiphezulu nendawo ebanzi okunikezwa amakhamera e-optical strip akhiqiza imikhiqizo yefilimu yendabuko, athuthukiswe futhi ahlaziywe ngemva kokuba efike.
Thola izindaba zezindiza ezinhle kakhulu, izindaba kanye nezici ezivela ku-Aviation Geek Club encwadini yethu yezindaba, ezilethwa ngqo ebhokisini lakho lokungenayo.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Julayi-21-2022
