U.S. Spy Plane Pilot Dies in Asia Crash By PATRICK QUINN, Associated Press Writer
5 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. Air Force U-2 spy plane has crashed in southwest Asia while returning to its base, killing the pilot, the military said Wednesday.

The cause of Tuesday night's crash was under investigation, U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

One official said the location of the crash was not released because "host nation sensitivities" were involved.

The Central Command's statement used the term "southwest Asia," which can be used as a substitute for describing the Middle East.

The pilot was returning to a base from a mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in     Afghanistan.

One official said the location of the crash was not released because "host nation sensitivities" were involved.

"The specific location is not releasable due to host nation sensitivities," U.S. Air Force Capt. David W. Small, a Central Command spokesman, said in an e-mail when asked for more information.

In Washington, Lt. Col. Barry Venable, a     Pentagon spokesman, said the plane had completed a mission related to U.S. operations in Afghanistan and crashed as it was returning to its base, the location of which he did not disclose.

A U.S. security team was at the site of the crash, he said.

American U-2s operate out of a base in the United Arab Emirates, although U.S. military officials refuse to discuss this fact at the UAE's request.

The U-2 operates at an altitude of more than 70,000 feet, beyond the range of most surface-to-air missiles. It has been used by American forces for decades.

A U-2 was shot down May 1, 1960, over Soviet territory while photographing Soviet missile installations. After parachuting to safety, pilot Francis Gary Powers was captured and later convicted as a spy. He was held for almost two years before being traded for a KGB captive.

My thoughts exactly. I always wondered why the retired the SR-71 and kept the U-2. I just figured that the airforce couldn't handle just how awsome the blackbird was, so they needed something boring...

probably the area is too sensitive to do a 5-boomer

If it had gone down in Iran believe me there would have been loads of footage on the TV the way things are between Iran and the US at the moment.
I think it likely it went down in the UAE, they are v.sensitive about US forces being based there, and the lack of footage of the aircraft and the fact the site has been secured for an inspection team means it has to have been a friendly country...

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My understanding is the SR-71 was just too expensive to operate.  So they settled on a mix of U-2 flights and satellites.  To bring SR-71s back into service now would be even more expensive.  Oh well.

Yeah, the "SR-71s are too expensive" they say as we build 20 $370m stealth planes.  Now, the difference between an SR-71 and a Raptor is that a Raptor could whoop a typhoons ass...

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No, just facts...   

Especially by people selling things to the Government