Manned ISR (Page 3)

Latest in Manned ISR

A picture of a unique and highly-modified Boeing 727 that Raytheon uses as testbed, with an inset showing online flight tracking data regarding an unusual flight the aircraft performed around the islands of Saipan and Tinian in the western Pacific in June 2022.
Manned ISR

Radar-Toting 727 Testbed “Voodoo 1” Appears Over Saipan

By Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jun 9, 2022

A US Air Force RC-135U Combat Sent electronic intelligence aircraft photographed at Kadena Air Base on the Japanese Island of Okinawa in 2009.
RC-135

U.S. RC-135U Spy Plane Just Surveilled China’s Strategic Southern Coast

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 6, 2022

MC55A Peregrine
Manned ISR

Australia’s New MC-55 Peregrine Electronic Warfare Jet Breaks Cover (Updated)

By Dan Parsons, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on May 11, 2022

A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft.
E-3

Air Force To Buy E-7 Wedgetail Radar Jets To Replace Aging E-3s

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 27, 2022

A-12 Blackbird canards
SR-71

SR-71 Blackbird’s Predecessor Looked Even Cooler With Canards

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Apr 22, 2022

RC-135S Satan Missile Formation
RC-135

RC-135 Jets Flew Unprecedented Mission To Spy On Russia’s New ICBM

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 20, 2022

This Is The Armada Of Spy Planes Tracking Russia’s Forces Surrounding Ukraine
U-2

This Is The Armada Of Spy Planes Tracking Russia’s Forces Surrounding Ukraine

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Feb 19, 2022

Russia Says Its New A-100 Jet Has Flown With Its Radar Turned On For The First Time
A-50/A-100

Russia Says Its New A-100 Jet Has Flown With Its Radar Turned On For The First Time

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Feb 11, 2022

The Search To Replace The Air Force’s Geriatric E-3 Sentry Radar Jets Has Officially Begun (Updated)
E-3

The Search To Replace The Air Force’s Geriatric E-3 Sentry Radar Jets Has Officially Begun (Updated)

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Feb 9, 2022

Western Sanctions Are Driving Delays In Fielding Russia’s New A-100 Radar Plane: Report
A-50/A-100

Western Sanctions Are Driving Delays In Fielding Russia’s New A-100 Radar Plane: Report

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Feb 3, 2022

Chile Has Bought A Trio Of Retired E-3D Sentry Radar Planes From Britain: Reports
E-3

Chile Has Bought A Trio Of Retired E-3D Sentry Radar Planes From Britain: Reports

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 21, 2022

Scaled Composites Unveils New Encore High-Altitude Optionally Manned Aircraft Concept
Manned ISR

Scaled Composites Unveils New Encore High-Altitude Optionally Manned Aircraft Concept

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jan 7, 2022

The Secretive U-2 Spy Plane Missions Flown Out Of Norway’s Bodø Airbase
U-2

The Secretive U-2 Spy Plane Missions Flown Out Of Norway’s Bodø Airbase

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jan 6, 2022

U.S. Air Force E-8 JSTARS Radar Jet Flies Rare Sortie Directly Over Eastern Ukraine
E-8

U.S. Air Force E-8 JSTARS Radar Jet Flies Rare Sortie Directly Over Eastern Ukraine

By Thomas Newdick and Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Dec 28, 2021

Secret RQ-180 “White Bat” Spy Drone Alluded To In New Air Force Video
E-8

Secret RQ-180 “White Bat” Spy Drone Alluded To In New Air Force Video

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Nov 18, 2021

China Is Using E-3 Sentry Mockups For Targets On Its Ballistic Missile Impact Range
E-3

China Is Using E-3 Sentry Mockups For Targets On Its Ballistic Missile Impact Range

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Nov 12, 2021

One Of U.S. Special Operation Command’s Shyest Spy Planes Has A New Name
Manned ISR

One Of U.S. Special Operation Command’s Shyest Spy Planes Has A New Name

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Oct 11, 2021

Top Air Force General In The Pacific Wants E-7 Wedgetails To Replace E-3 Radar Planes
E-3

Top Air Force General In The Pacific Wants E-7 Wedgetails To Replace E-3 Radar Planes

By Thomas Newdick and Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Sep 24, 2021

E-7 Wedgetail Radar Jets Eyed As A Bridge To A Space-Based System By The Air Force
E-7

E-7 Wedgetail Radar Jets Eyed As A Bridge To A Space-Based System By The Air Force

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Sep 23, 2021

RC-135 Now Flying With Donor KC-135 Engine Cover After Frightening Crosswind Landing Mishap
RC-135

RC-135 Now Flying With Donor KC-135 Engine Cover After Frightening Crosswind Landing Mishap

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Sep 23, 2021

Watch This RC-135 Spy Plane Make A Frightening Crosswind Landing In England (Updated)
RC-135

Watch This RC-135 Spy Plane Make A Frightening Crosswind Landing In England (Updated)

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Sep 20, 2021

What It’s Like Being A Royal Air Force Photographer Capturing The Action On Deployment
E-3

What It’s Like Being A Royal Air Force Photographer Capturing The Action On Deployment

By Corporal ‘Matty’ Matthews, Thomas Newdick

Posted on Sep 8, 2021

RC-135W Rivet Joint Spy Plane Is Flying Orbits Over Kabul (Updated)
RC-135

RC-135W Rivet Joint Spy Plane Is Flying Orbits Over Kabul (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Aug 17, 2021

Veteran S-3 Viking Crewman Breaks Down Everything Happening In This E-2 Hawkeye Carrier Launch Video
E-2

Veteran S-3 Viking Crewman Breaks Down Everything Happening In This E-2 Hawkeye Carrier Launch Video

By Kevin Noonan

Posted on Aug 11, 2021

Watch This 2021 Ford Bronco Play Chase Car For A U-2 Dragon Lady Spy Plane
U-2

Watch This 2021 Ford Bronco Play Chase Car For A U-2 Dragon Lady Spy Plane

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Aug 9, 2021

Meet The MC-145B Wily Coyote Armed Special Ops Transport Plane
Manned ISR

Meet The MC-145B Wily Coyote Armed Special Ops Transport Plane

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jul 1, 2021

The Army Lays Out Plans For Its New Intelligence Gathering Jet
E-11

The Army Lays Out Plans For Its New Intelligence Gathering Jet

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jun 15, 2021

Mysterious Black Towed Target Was Built To Support Airborne Laser Tests
SR-71

Mysterious Black Towed Target Was Built To Support Airborne Laser Tests

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on May 28, 2021

What We Know About The High-Altitude Balloons Recently Lingering Off America’s Coastlines
Manned ISR

What We Know About The High-Altitude Balloons Recently Lingering Off America’s Coastlines

By Adam Kehoe

Updated on May 18, 2021

F-22 And F-35 Datalinks Finally Talk Freely With Each Other Thanks To A U-2 Flying Translator
U-2

F-22 And F-35 Datalinks Finally Talk Freely With Each Other Thanks To A U-2 Flying Translator

By Joseph Trevithick and Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Apr 30, 2021

France Carries Out Unusual Ballistic Missile Test As American Spy Plane Looks On
RC-135

France Carries Out Unusual Ballistic Missile Test As American Spy Plane Looks On

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Apr 28, 2021

Photo Emerges Of Shadowy Intelligence Gathering “Ghost Plane” In Somalia
Manned ISR

Photo Emerges Of Shadowy Intelligence Gathering “Ghost Plane” In Somalia

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Apr 28, 2021

Help Us Identify This Mysterious SR-71-Looking “Tow Target”
SR-71

Help Us Identify This Mysterious SR-71-Looking “Tow Target”

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Apr 26, 2021

Israel’s New Surveillance Jet Combines Two Other Aircraft’s Missions Into A Single Airframe
Manned ISR

Israel’s New Surveillance Jet Combines Two Other Aircraft’s Missions Into A Single Airframe

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Apr 5, 2021

U-2 Flight Along The Border Yesterday Wasn’t A Surveillance Mission
U-2

U-2 Flight Along The Border Yesterday Wasn’t A Surveillance Mission

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 2, 2021

Did An RC-135 Spy Plane Really Make An Unprecedented Run At Chinese Airspace Near Taiwan?
RC-135

Did An RC-135 Spy Plane Really Make An Unprecedented Run At Chinese Airspace Near Taiwan?

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Mar 22, 2021

This Montage Of Bad U-2 Landings Shows How Hard It Is To Tame The Dragon Lady
U-2

This Montage Of Bad U-2 Landings Shows How Hard It Is To Tame The Dragon Lady

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Feb 16, 2021

Air Force Doubles Down On E-11A BACN Communications Jets With Plans To Triple Fleet Size
E-11

Air Force Doubles Down On E-11A BACN Communications Jets With Plans To Triple Fleet Size

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Feb 8, 2021

Images Show U-2 That Flew Intriguing Flight Over California Was Equipped With A Panoramic Camera
U-2

Images Show U-2 That Flew Intriguing Flight Over California Was Equipped With A Panoramic Camera

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Feb 7, 2021

Behold The SR-71 Blackbird’s Nest At Dawn
SR-71

Behold The SR-71 Blackbird’s Nest At Dawn

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Jan 2, 2021

Artificial Intelligence Takes Control Of A U-2 Spy Plane’s Sensors In Historic Flight Test
U-2

Artificial Intelligence Takes Control Of A U-2 Spy Plane’s Sensors In Historic Flight Test

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Dec 16, 2020

Chasing Soviet Missiles In The Cobra Ball From A Desolate Rock In The Aleutian Islands
RC-135

Chasing Soviet Missiles In The Cobra Ball From A Desolate Rock In The Aleutian Islands

By Robert Hopkins

Updated on Dec 16, 2020

U-2 Spy Plane Taps Into Computers On The Ground To Expand Data Processing Ability Mid-Mission
U-2

U-2 Spy Plane Taps Into Computers On The Ground To Expand Data Processing Ability Mid-Mission

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Dec 15, 2020

The Potentially Revolutionary Celera 500L Aircraft Officially Breaks Cover
Manned ISR

The Potentially Revolutionary Celera 500L Aircraft Officially Breaks Cover

By Joseph Trevithick and Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Nov 27, 2020

Navy Prepares For Integration Of MQ-25 Tanker Drones With E-2 Hawkeye Squadrons
E-2

Navy Prepares For Integration Of MQ-25 Tanker Drones With E-2 Hawkeye Squadrons

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 3, 2020

Air Force Confirms, Then Retracts Statement That One Of Its RC-135W Spy Planes Flew Over Taiwan
RC-135

Air Force Confirms, Then Retracts Statement That One Of Its RC-135W Spy Planes Flew Over Taiwan

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Oct 23, 2020

U-2 Spy Plane Got New Target Recognition Capabilities In First-Ever In-Flight Software Update
U-2

U-2 Spy Plane Got New Target Recognition Capabilities In First-Ever In-Flight Software Update

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Oct 20, 2020

Navy E-2C Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning Radar Plane Crashes and Burns In Virginia (Updated)
E-2

Navy E-2C Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning Radar Plane Crashes and Burns In Virginia (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Aug 31, 2020

China Tests Long-Range Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles As U.S. Spy Plane Watches It All
U-2

China Tests Long-Range Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles As U.S. Spy Plane Watches It All

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Aug 27, 2020

China Freaks Out Over Supposed U-2 Spy Plane Flight Over Its Naval Exercise
U-2

China Freaks Out Over Supposed U-2 Spy Plane Flight Over Its Naval Exercise

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Aug 26, 2020

American Surveillance Aircraft Have Been Flooding Into The Airspace South Of Taiwan (Updated)
RC-135

American Surveillance Aircraft Have Been Flooding Into The Airspace South Of Taiwan (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jul 10, 2020

15 Questions With One of VP-5’s ‘Mad Foxes’ on Flying the P-8 Poseidon
Manned ISR

15 Questions With One of VP-5’s ‘Mad Foxes’ on Flying the P-8 Poseidon

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Jul 3, 2020

The Pentagon Thought it Could Retire the U-2 in 1969
U-2

The Pentagon Thought it Could Retire the U-2 in 1969

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jul 3, 2020

Private Pilot Flew Over America’s Premier Spy Plane Base And Snapped These Images
U-2

Private Pilot Flew Over America’s Premier Spy Plane Base And Snapped These Images

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jun 23, 2020

Elon Musk And His Partner Grimes Name Their Newborn After The A-12 Spy Plane
SR-71

Elon Musk And His Partner Grimes Name Their Newborn After The A-12 Spy Plane

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on May 6, 2020

U.S. Mulls Pulling Spy Planes From Britain, Not Basing F-35s There Over Huawei 5G Plans: Report
RC-135

U.S. Mulls Pulling Spy Planes From Britain, Not Basing F-35s There Over Huawei 5G Plans: Report

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 6, 2020

Air Force Is Down To One Tired Old Jet To Fly Open Skies Surveillance Flights
Manned ISR

Air Force Is Down To One Tired Old Jet To Fly Open Skies Surveillance Flights

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Apr 29, 2020

The SR-71 Blackbird Was Almost Brought Back For The Global War On Terror
SR-71

The SR-71 Blackbird Was Almost Brought Back For The Global War On Terror

By Stephen Walker

Updated on Mar 28, 2020

CIA’s Predecessor To The SR-71 Blackbird Tested Electron Guns To Hide From Radars
SR-71

CIA’s Predecessor To The SR-71 Blackbird Tested Electron Guns To Hide From Radars

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Mar 25, 2020

Watch This U-2 Spy Plane Make A Crazy Landing Without Its Flaps Or Speed Brakes
U-2

Watch This U-2 Spy Plane Make A Crazy Landing Without Its Flaps Or Speed Brakes

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 13, 2020

E-11A Pilots Died Flying An Aircraft From A Fleet So Small None Are In The U.S. For Training
E-11

E-11A Pilots Died Flying An Aircraft From A Fleet So Small None Are In The U.S. For Training

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 30, 2020

Highly Specialized Air Force E-11A Communications Aircraft Crashes And Burns In Afghanistan (Updated)
E-11

Highly Specialized Air Force E-11A Communications Aircraft Crashes And Burns In Afghanistan (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jan 30, 2020

RC-135 Rivet Joint Surveillance Jet Emerges With Puzzling New Modification
RC-135

RC-135 Rivet Joint Surveillance Jet Emerges With Puzzling New Modification

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Dec 6, 2019

Declassified: US Honors Swedish Pilots For Escorting Stricken SR-71 To Safety During Cold War
SR-71

Declassified: US Honors Swedish Pilots For Escorting Stricken SR-71 To Safety During Cold War

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Dec 1, 2019