As a former EW. I got to spot those planes when no one else could. in fact...
I had a situation pulling picket duty off the coast of florida where I could not identify the radar.
Took two years, (out of the service) to find the specs and Identified that bogey as a U2. I emailed the former shipmate of mine. and got an earful about using unsec lines.
No comment on the fact that I used OSINT to identify it.
I couldn't believe they are still flying them...
As for the blackbird. Many people believe it is called the SR-71. It was actually the RS-71... (reconnaissance strike, not strategic reconnaissance) Nixon gaffed it when he announced it and the name stuck. Another myth is that it was believed it was developed as a spy plane because it "flew to fast to act as a strike aircraft" except that is exactly what is was designed to be... Flies too high and too fast to be shot down... drops a couple missiles and goes on its way...
Little bit of a history buff
