Black Lady.

This is coolbert:

Thanks to the tip from intelNews.org, the United States military, after a twenty year hiatus, returns to the Philippines, at least on a temporary basis?

1. "UPDATE 2-Philippines studying U.S. offer to deploy spy planes"

"MANILA, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The Philippines is considering a U.S. proposal to deploy surveillance aircraft on a temporary, rotating basis to enhance its ability to guard disputed areas in the South China Sea"

. . .

"plans to deploy more littoral combat ships and spy aircraft"

. . .

"both countries grapple with the growing assertiveness of China"

Please note that this article is from the African edition of Reuters, the energy and oil section. It is obvious what is at concern here is the Spratly Islands and contiguous waters as claimed by five nations [China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines]. Those islands, the contiguous waters and continental shelf under which is thought contain vast deposits of oil and natural gas. So we are told. Disputed waters the United States of which at the exact moment seems to be the one party able to guarantee at least for the time being a neutrality and safe-passage for international water-borne trade and commerce

2. "U.S. may rely on aging U-2 spy planes longer than expected"

Spy planes what they call em'. The Black Lady of espionage as what was referred to by the Soviets. The U-2 reconnaissance/intelligence gathering aircraft. First missions flown in 1955, thirty three remaining airplanes in the inventory, repeatedly rebuilt, refurbished and renovated and still going strong almost sixty years later!!

Drones having proven to be too expensive and perhaps not as reliable, we can predict the U-2 having temporary basing in the Philippines, flying recce missions to monitor the military activities of those nations in dispute over the South China Sea, the sovereignty issues complex and multiple, unresolved now and for the foreseeable future.

"The Pentagon has proposed delaying a plan to replace the U-2s with RQ-4 Global Hawk drones"

"Since 1994, the Air Force said, at least $1.7 billion has been invested to modernize the U-2 airframe. These upgrades also include new engines, new cockpits and, of course, new cameras and sensors."

"Today, the U-2 is flying more missions and is involved in more operations than ever . . . Since 2003, the Air Force has flown more than 95,000 hours in the U-2 providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance."

More missions and operations than EVER!! Yeoman work for the Black Lady! Remarkable.

coolbert.