Page 416 - (DK) Smithsinian - Military History: The Definitive Visual Guide to the Objects of Warfare

414 ELECTRONIC WARFARE AND Armed with up to 20,000lb (9,100kg) of

GE 1945–PRESENT Aerial reconnaissance plays a vital role in intelligence MAD boom
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT
air-to-ship missiles, torpedoes, and depth charges

gathering, whether at a tactical level via the MiG-21 and OV-1
Mohawk, or at a strategic level via the U-2 or SR-71. These
“eyes in the sky” reached a new level of sophistication with
the introduction of Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft,

from enormous distances. These in turn have evolved into Airborne
Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, which provide
the Orion acts as a maritime surveillance and
A which can build up an electronic picture of enemy movements ▲ LOCKHEED P-3C ORION Developed from the Electra commercial airliner,
Date 1962 Origin US
all-weather command, communications, and surveillance.
anti-submarine aircraft. Its Magnetic Anomaly
THE NUCLEAR ▶ LOCKHEED U-2 Fin Top speed 466mph (750kph)
3
Wingspan 99 ⁄4ft (30.4m)
Detector (MAD) boom is used to track the
Length 116 ⁄4ft (35.6m)
3
presence of submerged submarines.
Engine Four 4,600hp (3,700kW)
Allison T56-A-14 turboprops
Date 1957 Origin US
Wingspan 103ft (31.4m)
Pilot tube to
Length 63ft (19.2m)
determine air speed
Top speed 500mph (805kph)
Engine 19,000lb (8,618kg) General
Electric F118-101 turbofan Extended glider-style wings Engine air intake
A strategic reconnaissance aircraft,
the U-2—capable of cruising at
heights of 70,000ft (21,000m)—
was used by the Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA) as a spy plane. It
earned infamy when one was shot Radar
down in Soviet airspace in 1960. Two-wheel undercarriage equipment
Two rear wheels Auxiliary wheel
on each wing
Swept-back fin
Radar

Exhaust nozzle

Three-wheel undercarriage
(including front wheel)
▲ MIKOYAN-GUREVICH MIG-21R One of the most prolific aircraft in the
Date 1959 Origin Soviet Union Soviet armory, the MiG-21R was a
tactical reconnaissance variant in which
Wingspan 23 ⁄2ft (7.15m)
1
guns were replaced by optical and infrared
3
Length 51 ⁄4ft (15.76m) cameras, either mounted within the Chin bulge with
Top speed 1,385mph (2,230kph) airframe or in external wing pods. Electronic Surveillance
Measures (ESM) suite
Engine 14,550lb (6,600kg) Tumansky
R-13-300 turbojet
Three-fin Bulletproof
tail assembly observation canopy
◀ GRUMMAN OV-1 MOHAWK
Date 1959 Origin US
Wingspan 48ft (14.63m)
Length 41ft (12.5m)
Top speed 450mph (724kph)
Engine Two 1,400hp (1,044kW) Lycoming
T53-L-701 turboprops
Designed for battlefield surveillance, the Mohawk
was fitted with optical cameras and a Side-Looking
Underwing pods Airborne Radar (SLAR) that provided a detailed
picture of enemy movements on the ground.