US spy planes frequent China's coastline
- By Chen Boyuan
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E-mail China.org.cn, September 5, 2014
P-8 Poseidon
The P-8 Poseidon is a military aircraft developed by Boeing, modified from the 737-800. The P-8 conducts maritime patrol, surveillance, and anti-submarine warfare. It entered the U.S. Navy in November 2013, more than four years after its first flight in April 2009. The P-8 will gradually replace the P-3C.
The P-8 measures 39.47 meters in length and 12.83 meters in height. Its wingspan is 37.64 meters. The P-8 has a crew of nine airmen, including two pilots. In terms of performance, the P-8C has a cruise speed of 815 KPH and usually maintains an altitude of 1,500 meters, but can descend to 300 meters above sea level for naked eye observation and identification. The P-8 can stay airborne for eight to nine hours during each reconnaissance mission. Advanced radar and a series of other sensors are used in these missions
RC-135 Rivet Joint
The RC-135 Rivet Joint is a reconnaissance aircraft built by Boeing, based on the Boeing 707 airliner. Designed as an electronic eavesdropper, the RC-135 carries varies antennas, including a side-facing radar hidden in its elongated nose. The RC-135 is capable of gathering radio signals from a wide range of frequencies, and often flies close to enemy countries' borders, making it possible to collect signals intelligence without violating enemy countries' airspace.
The RC-135 measures 41.53 meters in length and 12.70 meters in height; it has a wingspan of 39.88 meters. Its power comes from four Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-9 turbofan engines, capable of 80.07 KN of thrust each. The RC-135 has a service ceiling of 12,375 meters and usually maintains a cruise speed of 860 kph. It can stay airborne for 12 hours or 20 hours with aerial refueling.
U-2
The U-2 reconnaissance aircraft features long and thin wings, and was once known as Cold War spirit. It was produced by Skunk Works, a secret department of Lockheed, on the requirement of the U.S. government.
The prototype of the ultra-high altitude spy plane, which resembles a powered glider, took off in August 1955. Hence, the U-2 conducted a large number of spy missions over the airspace of the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam and Cuba during the 1950s and the 1960s.
Statistics show that the U-2 completed more than 6,000 missions within the first three years after entering service in 1957. The well-known reconnaissance aircraft even provided 88 percent of all the image intelligence in the 2003 Iraq War.
RQ-4 Global Hawk
The Global Hawk is capable of continuously monitoring moving objectives from an altitude of 20,000 meters in all weather conditions. It can accurately recognize all aircraft, missiles and vehicles down on the ground.
The Global Hawk can cover 137 thousand square kilometers per day in reconnaissance missions. On 22 March, 2008, a Global Hawk set the endurance record for unmanned aircraft UAVs by flying for 33.1 hours at altitudes of up to 60,000 feet over Edwards Air Force Base.
The RQ-4B, which is the upgraded version of the original Global Hawk measures 14.5 meters in length and 4.7 meters in height and has a wingspan of 39.9 meters. The Global Hawk can maintain a cruise speed at 575 kph. Its endurance is 28 hours and can reach a maximum range of 14,001 kilometers, so it is capable of transcontinental flights.
The U.S.A.F. once planed to abandon the Global Hawk project, and continue to use the U-2 in order to save costs. But the Congress insisted on UAV aerial patrols.
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