DET. 1 9th SRW U-2 PROJECT OLIVE HARVEST RAF AKROTIRI CYPRUS: SEE ALL FEAR NONE

Description: DET.1 9th SRW US U-2 PROJECT OLIVE HARVEST RAF AKROTIRI CYPRUS vêlkrö PATCH: SEE ALL, FEAR NONEThis is an Original LOCKHEED U-2 DRAGON LADY DET. 1, 9th SRW USAF U-2 PROJECT OLIVE HARVEST @RAF AKROTIRI CYPRUS vêlkrö PATCH: SEE ALL, FEAR NONE. You will receive the item as shown in the first photo. Other items in other pictures are for your reference only, available in my eBay Store. Please note that there are color variations due to settings on different PCs/Monitors. The color shown on your screen is may not be the true color. The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-jet engine, ultra-high altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It provides day and night, very high-altitude (70,000 feet; 21,000 m), all-weather intelligence gathering. The U-2 has also been used for electronic sensor research, satellite calibration, and communications purposes. Early versions of the U-2 were involved in several events through the Cold War, being flown over the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, and Cuba. In 1960, Gary Powers was shot down in a CIA U-2A over the Soviet Union by a surface-to-air missile. Another U-2, piloted by Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr., was lost in a similar fashion in the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. The U-2 is one of a handful of aircraft types to have served the USAF for over 50 years. The newest models (TR-1, U-2R, U-2S) entered service in the 1980s. The current model, the U-2S, received its most recent technical upgrade in 2012. They have taken part in post-Cold War conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and supported several multinational NATO operations. Royal Air Force Akrotiri, commonly abbreviated RAF Akrotiri (IATA: AKT, ICAO: LCRA) (Greek: Βασιλική Πολεμική Αεροπορία Ακρωτηρίου; Turkish: Kraliyet Hava kuvvetleri Ağrotur) is a large Royal Air Force (RAF) military airbase on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which comprise Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory, administered as a Sovereign Base Area. The station commander has a dual role, and is also the officer commanding the Akrotiri or Western Sovereign Base Area, reporting to the commander of British Forces Cyprus (BFC) who is also the Administrator. RAF Akrotiri was first constructed in the mid-1950s to relieve pressure on the main RAF station in the centre of the island, RAF Nicosia. In August 1970, detachment 'G' of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) arrived at the airfield with Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft to monitor the Egypt / Israel Suez Canal fighting and cease-fire. Permanent monitoring of the Middle East Ceasefire was undertaken by the 100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, known as Operation 'OLIVE HARVEST'. Up until 1974, RAF Akrotiri had a balanced force of aircraft assigned to it, including No. 9 Squadron and No. 35 Squadron, both flying Avro Vulcan strategic bombers. The Vulcans provided a bomber force for CENTO, one of the three main anti-Communist mutual defence pacts signed in the early days of the Cold War. However, during that year, Turkish forces invaded Cyprus in connection with a Greek-sponsored coup. The UK then evacuated most of the RAF from Akrotiri as the CENTO treaty had degenerated to the point of uselessness. The two Vulcan squadrons left for UK stations in 1975. What was left at the airfield was the flying unit that is permanently assigned to the station to this day; No. 84 Squadron, a helicopter search and rescue unit. In addition, the role of No. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment provided support. In September 1976, the US U-2 operations were reassigned to the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (9th SRW), but the U-2 operation at RAF Akrotiri continued to be called Operating Location (OLIVE HARVEST) OH until September 1980. Thereafter, it became Detachment 3 of the 9th SRW, although the name OLIVE HARVEST continues. Two U-2s are stationed at RAF Akrotiri, and they are still monitoring the ceasefire agreement between the Egypt and Israel, although the present operations in the US Central Command area requires further missions. U-2s also transit through RAF Akrotiri either on going into the Central Command theatre, or returning to Beale AFB, California. In July 2006, RAF Akrotiri played a major role as a transit point for personnel evacuations out of Lebanon during the 2006 Lebanon War (see international reactions to the 2006 Lebanon War and Joint Task Force Lebanon). Akrotiri was the location of the main transmitter of the well known numbers station, the Lincolnshire Poacher, although transmissions ceased in 2008. In March 2011, the station was used as a staging base for support aircraft involved in Operation Ellamy, the UK's contribution to the NATO-led military intervention in Libya. Tanker support and logistical units were based here to support aerial operations over the country. In August 2013, six RAF Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft were deployed to Akrotiri to defend the base, "to ensure the protection of UK interests and the defence of our sovereign base areas at a time of heightened tension in the wider region". Earlier, two RAF TriStar aerial refuelling aircraft and a Sentry AEW1 had been deployed to Akrotiri. The station hosted the main hospital for British Forces Cyprus, The Princess Mary's Hospital (TPMH), located on Cape Zevgari. This closed in October 2012, and cases too serious to be dealt with at the base health clinic are sent to the private Ygia Polyclinic in Limassol. In August 2014, six RAF Panavia Tornado fighter-bombers were deployed to Akrotiri to carry out reconnaissance missions over Iraq, following the rise of Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria. On 26 September 2014, Members of Parliament voted in favour of the RAF carrying out air strikes on ISIS in Iraq, and on 27 September the first two Tornado jets took off from Akrotiri loaded with laser-guided bombs and missiles. On 30 September 2014, two British Tornados successfully intercepted and attacked ISIS targets of a heavily armed truck, at the request of Iraqi Kurdish fighters. The station was used to support the 2018 missile strikes against Syria. In June 2019, the station launched the RAF's first F-35 Lightning II operational sortie. Six aircraft were deployed to take part in operations against Islamic State. Royal Air Force(RAF) base in Akrotiri is known to be used in addition to the British one and their allies, specifically the United States. The United States has storage facilities for U-2S spy aircraft, which belong to the 9th Reconnaissance Wing of the US Air Force. Various documents from previous years have confirmed that the RAF base in Akrotiri in recent years has hosted two U-2Ss, spy planes which take off from Akrotiri toward war zones mainly in the Middle East. On the occasion of yesterday’s flight recording of the valid ItaMilRadar on the return of the Lockheed Martin U-2S spy aircraft ( also known as “Dragon Lady”), at RAF Akrotiri, we present the legendary aircraft. U2 (original model) starred during the Cold War, culminating in its 1960 shoot-down by the Soviets. Following the shoot down the pilot Francis Gary Powers was arrested. The shooting and the events that followed were the script for the 2015 drama film, Bridge of Spies, starring Tom Hanks. The Lockheed Martin U-2S Dragon Lady is a single-engine jet aircraft, all-weather high-altitude intelligence surveillance reconnaissance (ISR) of the United States Air Force (USAF). It can reach altitudes of more than 70,000 feet and its pilots are equipped with a special suit due to the high pressure. According to the manufacturer, its unique and modular design allows the addition of the latest sensors and equipment to the aircraft quickly in a cost effective way. The state-of-the-art multi-role U-2S, which has been modernized since 2012, has a wide range of multi-spectrum and long-range sensors and can easily operate in and around disputed areas, cooperating with the 4th and 5th generation aircraft and systems such as the F-35. Lockheed Martin provides ongoing support to the USAF 24/7/365 for these aircraft, whose mission success rate is 97%! The U-2S Dragon Lady is 19.2 meters long, 5.09 meters high and has a wingspan of 31.39 meters. It can carry a payload of 2,268 Kg and has a range of 9,600 km (6000 mi). The US Air Force currently has 30 U-2Ss aircraft, 4 of which are training aircraft. The U-2S has to follow a special but dangerous, as it can be described, landing procedure. Due to its design it does not have wheels on the wings but only on its main body making balance difficult this way. High-performance vehicles follow the aircraft during landing transmitting critical information to the pilot via radio. The U-2 is one of the few types of aircraft that has served the US Air Force for over 50 years, along with the Boeing B-52 and Boeing KC-135. In 2010, U-2s from the United States Air Force's 9th Reconnaissance Wing were used in Operation Cedar Sweep to fly surveillance over Lebanon, relaying information about Hezbollah militants to Lebanese authorities, and in Operation Highland Warrior to fly surveillance over Turkey and northern Iraq to relay information to Turkish authorities. These flights were the topic of acrimonious leaked diplomatic cables between British officials and the American embassy, with David Miliband saying that "policymakers needed to get control of the military". The British were concerned that the flights over Lebanon were authorised by the Lebanese Ministry of Defence, rather than the entire cabinet, and that the intelligence so gained could lead to the UK being complicit in the unlawful torture of detainees. After warnings that these issues "could jeopardise future use of British territory", John Rood, a senior Bush administration official, and Mariot Leslie, the Foreign Office's director general for defence and intelligence, became involved. Leslie said that the U.S. was not actually expected to check on detained terrorists, but that future spy missions would require full written applications. You will receive the item as shown in the first photo. Other items in other pictures are available from my eBay Store. They will make a great addition to your SSI Shoulder Sleeve Insignia collection. You find only US Made items here, with the same LIFETIME warranty. Personal checks are welcomed. **eBay REQUIRES ORDER BE SENT WITH TRACKING, PLEASE SELECT USPS 1ST CLASS SERVICE w/TRACKING** **eBay REQUIRES ORDER BE SENT WITH TRACKING, PLEASE SELECT USPS GROUND ADVANTAGE SERVICE w/TRACKING** We'll cover your purchase price plus shipping.FREE 30-day No-Question return ALL US-MADE PATCHES HAVE LIFETIME WARRANTYWe do not compete price with cheap import copies.Watch out for cheap import copies with cut-throat price; We beat cheap copies with Original design, US-Made Quality and customer services.Once a customer, a LIFETIME of services

Price: 24.99 USD

Location: KANDAHAR POLO CLUB

End Time: 2024-10-30T20:33:11.000Z

Shipping Cost: 3.99 USD