Will Provide High-Resolution Imagery Of Tsunami-Ravaged
Areas
As Japan copes with the aftermath of the 8.9 magnitude
earthquake and tsunami that struck March 11, the United States has
sent help in the form of personnel, equipment and a watchful eye in
the sky: a U-2 high-altitude, all-weather surveillance and
reconnaissance aircraft from the 5th Reconnaissance Squadron
stationed at Osan Air Base in South Korea.
In conjunction with an RQ-4 Global Hawk remotely piloted
aircraft from the 9th Operations Group's Detachment 3 at Andersen
Air Force Base, Guam, the U-2 has been deployed to capture
high-resolution, broad-area synoptic imagery, by using an optical
bar camera producing traditional film products which are developed
and analyzed after landing
Once the aircraft returns with the film, it will be shipped to
Beale AFB, CA, where experts with the 9th Intelligence Squadron
will process and analyze the 10,500 feet of film. "The broad,
synoptic collection of large land mass and littorals are of great
benefit to decision makers," said Lt. Col. Spencer Thomas, the 5th
RS commander. "It will aid them in determining locations and extent
of damage the earthquake and tsunami have left."
Colonel Thomas also said the imagery can be likened to X-rays of
a medical injury. "It's like a personal injury; immediately after
the event, one must determine where and how they have been
injured," he said. "Our mission serves that function."
Japanese Coast Pre- And Post-Tsunami NASA
Image
From start to finish, the mission is expected to take four to
five days. Colonel Thomas said once they were notified, it took
about 12 hours of planning and preparation to get the plane off the
ground. Staff Sgt. William Ehinger, a U-2 crew chief with the 5th
RS, led his team quickly to ensure the aircraft was ready to
launch. "I am proud to be part of the humanitarian mission to help
our allies," he said. "In fact, all Airmen in the 5th RS are proud
to be helping out to provide the data Japan needs to rebuild their
country."
"These kinds of missions require much, much more than a pilot,
an aircraft and a sensor," Colonel Thomas said. "The extended
teamwork associated with this sort of effort reaches across
multiple squadrons."
During this humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission,
Colonel Thomas said everyone involved was keenly focused on the
task at hand, as they are in any mission. "It's an extended network
of Airmen, Americans, reaching out to assist our friends and allies
in Japan," he said. "They're our friends and we're going to do
whatever we can to help them."