Misplaced Pages

A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using photography), signals intelligence, as well as measurement and signature intelligence. Modern technology has also enabled some aircraft and UAVs to carry out real-time surveillance in addition to general intelligence gathering.

Before the development of devices such as radar, military forces relied on reconnaissance aircraft for visual observation and scouting of enemy movement. An example is the PBY Catalina maritime patrol flying boat used by the Allies in World War II: a flight of U.S. Navy Catalinas spotted part of the Japanese fleet approaching Midway Island, beginning the Battle of Midway.

History

Prior to the 20th century, machines for powered and controllable flight were not available to military forces, but some attempts were made to use lighter than air craft. During the Napoleonic Wars and Franco-Prussian War, balloons were used for aerial reconnaissance by the French.

In World War I, aircraft were deployed during early phases of battle in reconnaissance roles as 'eyes of the army' to aid ground forces. Aerial reconnaissance from this time through 1945 was mostly carried out by adapted versions of standard fighters and bombers equipped with film cameras. Photography became the primary and best-known method of intelligence collection for reconnaissance aircraft by the end of World War II.

World War I also saw use of floatplanes to locate enemy warships. After the battle of Jutland demonstrated the limitations of seaplane tenders, provisions were made for capital ships to carry, launch, and recover observation seaplanes. These seaplanes could scout for enemy warships beyond the visual range of the ship's lookouts, and could spot the fall of shot during long range artillery engagements. Observation seaplanes were replaced by helicopters after World War II.

After World War II and during the Cold War the United States developed several dedicated reconnaissance aircraft designs, including the U-2 and SR-71, to monitor the nuclear arsenal of the Soviet Union. Other types of reconnaissance aircraft were built for specialized roles in signals intelligence and electronic monitoring, such as the RB-47, RB-57, Boeing RC-135 and the Ryan Model 147 drones.

Since the Cold War much of the strategic reconnaissance aircraft role has passed over to satellites, and the tactical role to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This has been proven in successful uses by the United States in Desert Storm operations.

See also

• Aerial reconnaissance
• Surveillance aircraft
• List of United States Air Force reconnaissance aircraft
• Maritime patrol aircraft
• Observation seaplane

References

1. . "Scouting and Early Attacks from Midway, 3–4 June 1942". Archived April 13, 2010, at the Library of Congress Web Archives United States Naval Historical Center, 1999. Retrieved: 18 June 2010.
2. ^ "Air Power:Aerial Reconnaissance in World War I". centennialofflight.net. Archived from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
3. "During World War II, "F-Planes" Weren't Fighters - Defense Media Network". defensemedianetwork.com. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
4. Stinson, Patrick (1986). "Eyes of the Battle Fleet". Proceedings. Supplement (April). United States Naval Institute: 87–89.
5. "Air Power:Aerospace Power and the Cold War". www.centennialofflight.net. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
6. "Satelite.Com Spy Satellites". satelite.com. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
7. Kumar, Rajesh (March 1997). "Tactical Reconnaissance: UAVs versus Manned Aircraft" (PDF). Air Command and Staff College. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-04-04.

External links

Media related to Reconnaissance aircraft at Wikimedia Commons

• spyflight
• "A Tale of Two Airplanes" by Kingdon R. "King" Hawes, Lt Col, USAF (Ret.)
• Bonnier Corporation (January 1919). "Popular Science". The Popular Science Monthly. Bonnier Corporation: 18–. ISSN 0161-7370.
• Army-Lockheed YO-3A "Quiet Star" - Official History

v t e Military and war
Concepts	Military Service History Technology Occupational roles Recruitment Roles: Soldier Sailor Airman Enlisted rank Officer Commanding officer Executive officer Protocols and structure: Ranks List Uniforms Awards and decorations By country Highest Categories: Ranks
Forces	Command and control Defense ministry Armed Forces: Army Navy Air force Marines Space force Special forces Airborne forces Commando Frogman Militia Reserves Functional specialties: Communications Engineers Intelligence Reconnaissance List Medical Military police Gendarmerie Security forces Border guard Coast guard Logistics By country Categories: Combat occupations Development: Basic training Military maneuvers Combat training
Branches	Land units: Combat arms Infantry Armor Cavalry Artillery Special reconnaissance Signal corps Naval units: Warships Surface Littoral Patrol Submarines Aircraft carriers Landing craft Auxiliary ship Air units: Fighters Bombers Command Close air support Electronic-warfare Reconnaissance
Structure	Organization By country Armies by country Chain of command Unified combatant command General staff Land: Army group Field army Corps List Division List Brigade By type Regiment By country By type Battalion By country By type Platoon Squad Naval: Naval fleet Task force Carrier strike group Division Flotilla Squadron Air: Combat box Special units by nation: Battle Fleet; U.S. Navy Front; Russian land forces
Vehicles	Ground: Ground List Combat Tracked vehicles Wheeled vehicles Armor Tank Infantry fighting vehicle Lists By country Armored car Scout car Truck List Gun truck Self-propelled artillery List Anti-aircraft Rail
Weapons	Land Weapons List Artillery: Artillery List By country Battery Field gun List Howitzer List Rocket List Infantry guns: Pistols Machine guns List Service rifles: Battle rifles List Assault rifle List Sniper rifle Other infantry weapons: Bazooka Anti-tank gun List Grenade List Flamethrower Bayonet Combat knife List Missiles: Shoulder-fired Anti-tank List By country Mortar Lists: Infantry Heavy Other: Land mine Shells Sea/Air: Guided missiles List Naval: Naval artillery List Anti-ship missiles Torpedoes Depth charges Close-in weapons Aerial: Guns Missiles Bombs
Equipment	Military equipment Lists By country Helmet List Camouflage List Body armor Facilities: Military base Lists Field hospital
Combat systems	Fire-control system Fire-control radar Director (military) Combat information center Sonar Radar Historical: Ship gun fire-control Gun data computer Torpedo Data Computer
Warfare	War Battle Strategy Tactics Combat Military science Diplomacy International law By era: Prehistoric Ancient Post-classical Early modern Late modern industrial fourth-gen By type: Armoured warfare Artillery Barrage Biological Camouflage Cavalry Chemical Class Combined arms Conventional Cyber Denial Disinformation Drone Electronic Infantry Lawfare Loitering Music Nuclear Psychological Radiological Unconventional
Battlespace	Aerospace Air Airborne Space Land Cold-region Desert Jungle Mountain Urban Sea Amphibious Blue Brown Green Surface Underwater Subterranean Tunnel Cyber Information
Tactics	List of military tactics Aerial Airlift Airbridge Airdrop Battle Cavalry Charge Counterattack Counterinsurgency Defeat in detail Foxhole Envelopment Guerrilla Morale Rapid dominance Siege Swarming Tactical objective Target saturation Trench Withdrawal
Operational	Military operation Operations research Blitzkrieg Expeditionary Deep operation Maneuver Operational manoeuvre group
Strategy	List of military strategies and concepts Military campaign Attrition Counter-offensive Culminating Defence in depth Fabian Mosaic Deception Defensive Depth Goal Naval Offensive Scorched earth
Policy	Diplomacy: Alliances Peace treaty Cooperation United Nations Mediation Public policy: Conscription Defense budget Defense policy Related: Government Nation
Lists	Military lists Wars Weapons Military tactics History lists: Wars Battles Military occupations Operations Sieges Related lists: War crimes Writers
Other namespace	Templates {{War}} {{Weapons}} {{Ranks}} Vehicles and weapons {{Tanks}} {{Weapons}} {{Infantry fighting vehicles}} {{Modern warships}} {{Aircraft}} Specific modern wars {{Napoleonic Wars}} {{World War I}} {{World War II}} {{Cold War}} Categories Lists of wars by country Conflicts by time
Related	Peace Peace and conflict studies Peace movement Peace process Disarmament Pacifism Détente Global studies Conscientious objector Anti-war movement Idealism in international relations Humanitarianism International cooperation Crimes against humanity {{International relations}} Categories: Peace organizations
Category  Commons

• Reconnaissance aircraft