Reconnaissance Tail Flashes
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Showing 1 - 14 of 14
Reconnaissance Air Force Patches[caption id="attachment_156779" align="alignleft" width="283"] A left side view of an SR-71 aircraft from the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing landing. The aircraft is silhouetted against the sunset.[/caption]
A reconnaissance aircraft, colloquially known as a spy plane, is a military aircraft designed or adapted for aerial reconnaissance. Its roles include collecting imagery intelligence (often using photography), signals intelligence, and measurement and signature intelligence. Before the development of radar, reconnaissance aircraft were crucial for visual observation and scouting enemy movements. Notable examples include the U-2 and the legendary SR-71 Blackbird used by the United States during the Cold War to monitor the Soviet Union’s nuclear arsenal1. Nowadays, much of the strategic reconnaissance role has shifted to satellites, while unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) handle tactical reconnaissance. |