Originally Posted by
LivingInMEM
Sometimes what the COCOMs need is persistent SA that may or may not be imint. There is usually value in the traditional imagery analysis after the flight's over, but in today's wars the decision-makers more often need to know what's going on right now for days on end. They all have their place, but it's usually about the right tool at the right time, not the biggest tool for a short duration of time.
U-2 does both imint and sigint, simultaneously, real time...and has for 35+ years. GH killed itself by over-promising and under-delivering for over a decade. It never reached parity with the U-2 and that's why it was chopped.
HH