Military Glossary
Preface
This document is dedicated to all the men and women who are involved with ensuring the national security of the
United States.
The following information was derived from these sources:
Body of Secrets by James Bamford.
Wizards of Langley by Jeffrey T. Richelson.
Top Secret Tourism by Harry Helms.
The Bureau by Ronald Kessler.
Newsweek magazine articles.
Time magazine articles.
Although I have attempted to gather and arrange the data into a comprehensive, understandable format, any errors
and omissions are mine and not attributable to
any other authors or works. This document was created prior to the reorganization of the intelligence community
following 9/11, so in many respects, it is
out-of-date.
This paper is designed to provide basic information to persons wishing to enter the US Intelligence Community and
those who desire a broader knowledge of it. This
paper is not intended to cover every aspect of the intel community.
Manned Intelligence Aircraft
U2S
Built by Lockheed Aircraft's "Skunk Works" in the mid-1950s as the U2, it flies at 75,000+ feet at 475 mph and has a
range of 7,000 miles. Upgraded several times during the past 40 years, 31 are believed to exist and are planned to be
utilized for reconnaissance until 2020. The U2S has an elint sensor compartment backpack above the fuselage.
RC-135 Rivet Joint
A four-engine, jet powered intelligence platform based on the Boeing 707, first flown in the late 1950s, that gathers
MINT (Imagery Intelligence), TELINT (Telemetry
Intelligence), and SIGINT (Signals Intelligence). It flies at 41,000 feet and has a 5,600-mile range. With airborne
refueling, it can remain airborne for long periods and
span the globe. Reconnaissance models, the V and W variants, employ a crew of up to 30 personnel. 21 of these planes
are in the inventory. They are identifiable by
the long nose containing sensors.
RC-135S Cobra Ball
A four-engine, jet powered intelligence platform. A follow-on of the RC-135 Rivet Joint.
EP-3E
A four-engine turboprop mid-level reconnaissance platform based on the Lockheed Electra of the 1950s. It flies at an
altitude of 28,000 feet at a speed of 466 mph,
has a 2,300 nautical mile range, and a six-hour endurance.
NP-3
Similar to the EP-3E, this four-engine turboprop aircraft monitors movement of enemy troops and transmits that
information in real time via satellite. It has a
strut-mounted dish on top of the fuselage, similar to that of AWACS (Airborne Early Warning and Control System)
aircraft. This plane loiters at 138 mph at 25,000 feet,
providing a 16-hour endurance.
SR-71 Blackbird
Officially retired by the U.S. Air Force in 1988, a variant of these mach 3.2 reconnaissance aircraft first flew in
1963. They can fly above 80,000 feet, fly faster than a
bullet at mach 3.2, zoom to 100,000 feet, and have never had to deviate from a flight plan to avoid a
threat.
Following their retirement, it became apparent that satellite technology did not provide the necessary flexibility
for threat reconnaissance, worldwide, and the CIA took
over operational control of three of these expensive, complex, titanium aircraft. These fast-movers have collected
imagery of nearly every square inch of the
planet.
Although rumors of a follow-on platform have persisted for decades, no official announcement has been forthcoming.
Rarely seen in flight, the SR-71 sonic boom is
sometimes heard during overflights to reposition reconnaissance assets, as happened when one overflew Denver,
following the shoot-down by a Russian MIG of a
Korean 747 in 1984.
Interesting details include:
Four-inch thick cockpit glass.
32-ply, nitrogen-filled tires with a pressure of 400 to 450 pounds.
The paint has tiny iron balls in it to deflect radar signals for stealth.
It has flown coast-to-coast in an hour.
Following the shoot-down of pilot Gary Francis Power's U2, the U.S. promised not to overfly Russia. The Lockheed
Skunk Works developed an unmanned aerial
reconnaissance vehicle, a ramjet powered drone, that would fly at mach 4, up to 80,000 to 95,000 feet, using a single
J-58 engine that powers the SR-71.
Two A-12 aircraft, early variants of the SR-71, were retrofitted to carry the D-21, mounted on a pylon between the
vertical tails. The two A-12s were redesignated M-21.
The drone was to be launched from the M-21, fly over the selected territory, collect intelligence, then fly back over
international waters, eject the intel package, and
self-destruct. A Lockheed C-130 with a mid-air recovery system would snag the package's parachute and winch it
aboard.
The D-21 program was canceled when one of the drones hit the fuselage of the M-21 that launched it. The M-21 was
destroyed. Both pilots ejected successfully, but
one of them drowned after they parachuted into the ocean. The only D-21 drone on public display is in the Boeing
Museum of Flight in Seattle, WA.
For more information, see http://www.wvi.com/~lelandh/sr-71~1.htm.
MC-130H
The MC-130H is a four-engine turboprop, low-level armed reconnaissance platform based on the Lockheed C-130. It has a
cruise speed of 300 mph, a range of 4,000
miles, and is designed to carry various types of intel packages, depending upon mission requirements. It is believed
that there are 13 of these ships in inventory. It
carries a crew of 13 or 14. There are many variants of special operations aircraft based on the Lockheed C-130
platform.
E-3B Sentry
This aircraft serves an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AWACS) mission. It is based on the Boeing 707 platform.
It has a 30 feet diameter, 6 feet thick radome
on top. The endurance is 8 hours, and it carries a crew of 17 to 23. There are 32 of these planes in the
inventory.
E-8C Joint Stars
Based on the Boeing 707, the endurance of this long range surveillance aircraft is 9 hours. It carries a crew of 22.
There are 14 in the inventory. It has a 40 foot radome
mounted under the chin.
E-4B
This aircraft is an airborne operations center based on the Boeing 747 platform. It has an endurance of 12 hours and
carries a crew of up to 114. There are 4 of these
in the inventory.