STRATCOM commander visits Beale

Gen. Kevin Chilton, commander, U.S. Strategic Command, shakes hands with 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Airmen after completing his high flight in the U-2 Dragon Lady. The U-2 is a high altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft that can fly at 70,000 feet, and the pilots have to wear a special pressure suit to protect themselves from the extreme high altitudes. General Chilton visited Beale Air Force Base, Sept. 9-11. During his visit the general was a guest speaker during for a reunion of current and former U-2 pilots, maintainers and support staff associated with the U-2 program. In addition to being a guest speaker at the reunion, he saw firsthand how the remotely piloted aircraft RQ-4 Global Hawk provides high altitude intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance to forward deployed warfighters. “Global Hawk will continue to bring a broad range of ISR collection capabilities that support the joint war fighter in real time contingency and wartime operations for decades,” said General Chilton. “As a result, we can expect to see dramatic increases in operational demand for these assets.”

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