Dark Eagles: A History of the Top Secret U.S. Aircraft Read online

  On the morning of October 16, President Kennedy learned about the missiles. At the same time, three U-2As of the air force's 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing were alerted. Over the next week, some twenty U-2 missions were flown. These spotted two more SS-4 MRBM sites at Sagua la Grande. Two SS-5 Skean intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) sites were found at Guanajay and a third SS-5 site was discovered at Remedies.[210]

  On October 22, Kennedy announced the existence of the missiles and the imposition of a blockade. He also warned that any nuclear attack from Cuba would be met with a full retaliatory response by the United States.[211]

  In the following days, as U-2s flew on high and air force RF-101s and navy RF-8s went in at 200 to 500 feet, work continued on the missile sites.

  On October 27, all twenty-four SS-4 pads were considered operational. In anticipation of a U.S. invasion, the nuclear warheads for a Soviet Frog short-range missile battery, IL 28 light bombers, and the SSC-2B Samlet coastal defense missiles were readied. They would have caused tens of thousands of casualties among U.S. troops hitting the beaches. At Key West Airport, four Pershing missiles stood ready. Upon a presidential order, their nuclear warheads would be launched to destroy Havana. Around the world, some 1,200 U.S. bombers and nearly 400 missiles were prepared to hit their targets in the Soviet Union."The Soviet's own smaller nuclear force, 180 bombers, some 20 ICBMs, 100 submarine-launched missiles, and the 24 Cuban sites were on alert. For the first time, Soviet ICBMs were fueled and made ready to fire. Armageddon loomed.[212]

  At 8:10 A.M. on October 27, Major Anderson took off from McCoy Air Force Base. As he flew over the Banes naval base, a salvo of SA-2s was fired. One of the missiles exploded above and behind his U-2.[213] One or more fragments penetrated the cockpit and hit Anderson at shoulder level.

  The cockpit depressurized and his damaged suit failed to inflate. Anderson lost consciousness within seconds and died.[214]

  When word reached Washington that Anderson's plane was overdue, most feared it was a direct Soviet escalation. The pressure to take military action — either striking the SAM sites, or an invasion — was growing. The situation seemed ready to explode with little or no warning. October 27 later became known as "Black Saturday." That evening Robert Kennedy met with Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin and delivered an ultimatum. If the Soviets were unwilling to remove the missiles, the United States would attack within a day or two. This was coupled with a deal — the United States would promise not to invade Cuba if the missiles were removed. And, once the crisis was over, the United States would remove the Jupiter IRBMs based in Turkey.[215]

  The death of Anderson had a similar impact in Moscow. There had been strict orders not to fire on the U-2s. The attack had been ordered, without authorization, by Gen. Igor D. Statsenko, a senior Soviet commander in Cuba.[216] Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev realized that if SAMs could be launched without authorization, so could other missiles. Robert Kennedy's ultimatum also made it clear he had very little time.[217] Then he received a report that President Kennedy would address the nation "at 5 o'clock."

  The Soviets believed it would be an announcement of an air strike or invasion. To forestall this, a message was hurriedly drafted and rushed to a radio station. At 9:04 A.M. EST, October 28, Radio Moscow broadcast a statement announcing the Soviets would remove the missiles. The crisis had ended.[218]

  FIRE FLY IS ALERTED

  U-2 overflights had been halted following Anderson's death, and there were no guarantees they would not be fired on again when operations resumed, or even if they could resume.[219] The uncertainty caused Undersecretary of the Air Force Dr. Joseph Charyk to reverse the earlier decisions not to use the Fire Fly drones over Cuba. The unit was alerted to prepare for a two-drone mission on short notice.

  The Fire Fly's planned mission was different from that envisioned by the test flights. The 147A would fly at a medium altitude, 30,000 feet, rather than 50,000-pIus feet. The drones' autopilot was reprogrammed, and the cameras were modified slightly to accommodate this lower altitude. The scorers were then serviced, loaded with film, and installed in the drones. Everything was ready for the Fire Fly's first overflight. The DC-130 was on the flight line, with all four engines running, awaiting clearance to head down the taxiway to the end of the runway. They were moments away from starting when the mission was aborted on orders of Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, the air force chief of staff. LeMay supported the drone effort but wanted to save the capability for something bigger. U-2 overflights resumed on November 5. Although radar continued to track the planes, no SAMs were fired.[220]

  LIGHTNING BUG

  Shortly after the aborted launch, the air force issued a contract for a family of operational drones to undertake different types of missions. The first was the 147B, a specialized high-altitude drone. The wingspan was extended from the 13 feet of the 147A to 27 feet, which raised the altitude ceiling to 62,500 feet. Two test vehicles and seven production 147B drones were to be built.

  It would take several months for the 147Bs to be ready. To provide an immediate reconnaissance capability, the air force ordered seven 147Cs, production versions of the 147As. The wingspan was increased from 13 to 15 feet, and the contrail suppression system was added. Three of the 147Cs were then modified to produce the 147D. This drone was designed to undertake a mission that would be impossible for a manned aircraft. The air force needed data on the proximity fuze of the SA-2; to get the data, the drone would have to be hit by the SAM. The three 147Ds were delivered on December 16, 1962. Six weeks after the Cuban Missile Crisis ended, the United States had a limited unmanned reconnaissance capability based on the 147C and D drones.

  Because the Fire Fly code name had been compromised, a new one was needed. In keeping with the insect trend of earlier names, the new drones were called "Lightning Bugs."

  On July 1, 1963, the 4028th SRS(W) — Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (Weather) — was declared operational and was placed on seventy-two-hour alert. The unit was initially equipped with two 147Cs and two 147Ds, pending arrival of the first of the production 147Bs. It was located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, outside Tucson, Arizona, in an old World War I hangar. Like the A-12 unit, the 4028th had its own patch. It showed a cartoon of a fire fly (with a lightbulb in its tail). From its antennas came two lightning bolts — hence a Lightning Bug.

  The unit's activities were considered highly secret — the deputy commander for maintenance at the base was not told of their operations. He only learned of it by accident. When he asked the wing commander, he was told that he would be given no information until he received a "need-to-know" clearance.[221]

  On December 20, 1963, the secretary of the air force approved a follow-on contract for fourteen more 147B drones. In January 1964, three 147Es were delivered. These were B models fitted with the equipment from the D version. To support the expanding production, Ryan moved its Black operation from the Frontier Street warehouse to a secure factory in Kearny Mesa, an industrial park a few miles north of downtown San Diego.

  In early 1964, Castro began making threats over U-2 overflights.[222] On May 2, 1964, President Johnson ordered a review of alternatives. The drones quickly emerged as the preferred method. A memorandum of May 5 noted:

  The examination of alternative means of overflights… has led to a sharp rise in support for handling this matter by drones. It appears that we have drones which might do this job with a level of efficiency which would enable them to continue even if Castro tried to bring them down, because new drones could be supplied faster than he could bring them down. This at least is the position of the Defense Department civilians. The Joint Chiefs have not yet expressed a final view. Probably the result of today's discussion should be a direction to accelerate preparation for the use of drones, and production of additional drones in case we decide to shift to them.[223]

  The following day, the New York Herald Tribune newspaper published a story on possible use of the drones. This was the first public suggestio
n that the United States had developed an unmanned reconnaissance capability.

  Under the headline, "U.S. Studies Drones For Use Over Cuba," it read:

  Washington — A missile or pilotless plane to replace manned U-2s for surveillance flights over Cuba is being given serious consideration here, it was learned yesterday.

  The use of a drone craft, some administration officials believe, would reduce the chances of a brink-of-war confrontation between East and West if the Castro regime decides to shoot down a U.S. reconnaissance vehicle in Cuban air space.

  If an unmanned spy craft were brought down by Cuban antiaircraft missiles, it is felt, the incident would not be likely to require the same drastic countermeasures as the capture or death of a U.S. pilot.

  There is still considerable controversy both within the administration and the Pentagon as to whether pilotless spy flights would produce the quality of photographs that high-altitude U-2s and low-level F-104 [sic] and F-8U Crusader jets are getting.

  There is no technical barrier to sending pilotless craft over Cuba and taking photographs, military sources here said.[224]

  Obviously, the discussions about the drones had leaked, and leaked very quickly. In any event, the A-12 was selected to back up the U-2s for the Skylark missions.

  Three months later, the drones were at war.

  LIGHTNING BUG GOES TO WAR

  On the afternoon of August 2, 1964, the destroyer U.S.S. Maddox was sailing in international waters off the North Vietnamese coast when it was attacked by three North Vietnamese PT boats, which were sunk. The Tonkin Gulf Incident set events in motion and the Vietnam War began in earnest.[225]

  President Johnson and his advisors feared Chinese intervention in Vietnam. The drones were seen as a way to watch for any buildup. At 4:00 P.M. on August 4, the 147B drones were ordered to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, in preparation for overflights of Communist China. Specific targets were southeast China, near the border with North Vietnam and Laos, Hainan Island, and the coastal areas. The two launch DC-130s and four drones, 147B-8, B-9, B-10, and B-ll, were made ready. The preparations were interrupted for several days by a typhoon alert.

  On the morning of August 20, 1964, the DC-130 launch aircraft rolled down the runway and took off. It carried two drones—147B-9, the primary drone, and 147B-8, the backup. As the launch aircraft approached the Chinese coast, the crew checked out B-9. Everything was in readiness; the DC-130 began its run to the launch point, the release was pressed… and nothing happened. B-9 would not come off the shackle, even with the emergency release.

  The launch crew regrouped, checked out B-8, and made a successful launch. The drone climbed to its programmed altitude and set off for its overflight of southeast China. The DC-130, with B-9 still on the launch rack, headed back to Kadena. Thirteen minutes after B-8 was launched, B-9 just fell off the rack. Only the dye marker showed the impact point.

  In the meantime, B-8 continued across China. At an altitude of about 62,000 feet, the sky above was a deep blue black. The drone's black paint finish hid it from visual sightings, while the radar blankets concealed it from electronic detection. The drone's navigation was later described as "not spectacular," but it did cover a number of primary targets and returned with "significant information." Once the photo runs were completed, B-8 turned east, toward Taiwan. When the recovery team picked it up on radar, it was only a few miles to the right of the desired track. The radar transmitted the recovery signal, and the drone descended under a 100-foot parachute. The recovery zone was a half mile wide and two miles long. B-8 landed in a rice paddy, but the parachute release did not operate. The wind dragged the drone until it flipped over, causing major damage. The drone was picked up by a helicopter and later returned to Kadena.

  Unlike the U-2, Lightning Bug overflights were made every few days.

  The second mission was flown by B-ll on August 29. Everything seemed to work satisfactorily until the recovery. A short had caused the programmer to stop operating, and the drone would not accept the recovery command.

  B-ll kept flying, past the recovery zone and out to sea, until it ran out of fuel.

  The third mission, of B-10 on September 3, had better luck. The only mishap was an engine flameout during the recovery sequence. It landed successfully with only minor damage. When processed, the photos were good.

  On September 9, a pair of missions was attempted. Both ended in failure.

  B-13 flew its mission, but as it descended through 30,000 feet toward Taiwan, the engine flamed out. The parachute was deployed, but the drone was lost at sea. The day's second mission never got started. B-6 was launched from the DC-130 and began its climb. Soon after, it crashed into the jungles of Laos.[226]

  Thus, of the first five missions, only two had been successful. It was clear technical problems had to be resolved. Still, the Nationalist Chinese were very enthusiastic about the drones, due to the continuing U-2 losses to SA-2s over the mainland. A second U-2 had been shot down on November 1, 1963, and its pilot, Maj. Yei Chang Yi, was captured. A third U-2 loss occurred on July 7, 1964. Lieutenant Colonel Terry Lee died with his plane. The fourth Nationalist Chinese pilot lost was Maj. Jack Chang, who took off from Taiwan in the early evening of January 10, 1965. An SA-2 ended the mission forty-five minutes after he crossed the coast. Chang bailed out but landed so hard he broke both his legs. Medical attention saved his legs, but he and Yei would not be released until October 1983.

  A Nationalist Chinese U-2 pilot was required to fly ten overflights. Very few survived a tour.[227]

  Although none of the drones had yet been lost over China, they were being jumped by Chinese MiGs. On the September 25, 1964, flight, B-14 was followed by two pairs of MiGs about 10,000 feet below the drone. On September 29, a single MiG came within 5,000 feet of B-10. It was clear the Chinese were making an intense effort to down the drones. As yet, they were having no more luck than U.S. pilots had during the test missions.

  In anticipation of the loss of a drone, thought was given to equipping the drones with a destruct system and removing the manufacturers' name plates. Finally, it was decided to do nothing. If a drone was lost, and the Communist Chinese announced it, the United States would say only "no comment." There would be no cover story or acknowledgment that it was a secret project.[228]

  After two months of operation, it was clear the recovery zone on Taiwan was not working out. Winds dragged the drones after landing, causing major damage. Launch operations were moved to Bien Hoa Air Base, outside Saigon, South Vietnam. The landing zone was near Da Nang, on the coast.

  The shift also marked a change in targeting. The early missions were directed against Communist China. Now North Vietnam was also to be covered.

  The first drone flight from Bien Hoa was made on October 11, 1964, but B-14 was lost during recovery when it descended through a rainstorm and the parachute tore off. Despite the loss, the next several missions were successful. Launches were often made over Laos; in some cases, the DC-130 would nearly reach the Chinese border. Two more drone missions were flown over North Vietnam on October 22 and 27. No further drone missions were flown until November 7. It, too, was successful, bringing the total to five in a row.[229]

  FIRST LOSSES

  On November 15, 1964, 147B-19 was launched for a mission over China.

  It climbed to its programmed altitude, then crossed the border. During this "penetration phase" of the flight, MiGs jumped B-19. It was later reported that between sixteen and twenty MiGs went after the drone, making between thirty to fifty passes before it was shot down.[230]

  The Chinese announced the incident the next day. The statement by the Hsinhua press agency said, "A pilotless high-altitude reconnaissance military plane of U.S. imperialism, intruding into China's territorial airspace over the area of central south China on November 15, was shot down by the air force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army." A separate report said that Marshal Lin Piao, minister of national defense, had commended the air unit responsible. He added
, "This major victory was scored" because the unit "firmly carried out orders, maintained its combat readiness, seriously studied the enemy situation, did their best to master tactics and technique, overcame difficulties, and displayed a spirit of heroism in fighting." Lin continued that he hoped the unit would "be ready to deal blows at any invading enemy aircraft and win greater victories."[231]

  In Washington, according to a New York Times article, "officials professed to be baffled by the Chinese description of a 'pilotless' plane. The United States has some aerial-photographic drones capable of short-range reconnaissance over a battlefield. But as far as has been revealed there are no pilotless planes capable of long-range flights."[232]

  The State Department said it had no information to support the Chinese claim. White House Press Secretary George E. Reedy said, "I know nothing about it. This is the first I've heard of it." The Defense Department said only, "No comment."[233] Defense Secretary Robert McNamara said he would not comment on the report and could add nothing to the statements issued by the State and Defense Departments.[234]

  Despite the international publicity, the loss of B-19 seemed to have little impact. The stories were printed and forgotten. At Bien Hoa, operations halted for thirty days following B-19's loss, to allow things to cool off following the news reports. The first 147B mission after the loss of B-19 was made on December 15 and was called the best to date. About six more operational missions were flown before the end of the year. In all, twenty 147B missions were flown during 1964.[235]

  The year 1965 began with another burst of publicity — on January 2, 147B-21 became the second drone shot down by the Chinese. Lin Piao called it a "major victory." The Chinese press stated that the drone had been shot down "by the air force" over south central China. The U. S. Defense Department had no comment about the incident.[236] Press interest was also fading — the articles on the November 15 drone shoot down had been on the front page; B-21's loss made page 3 with no follow-up.