Operation Crowflight

On 26 October 1960, three Lockheed U-2 of the USAF 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing arrived at RAAF Base East Sale in Victoria to commence Operation Crowflight VI as part of the U.S. Department of Defense High Altitude Sampling Program (HASP). This was the first recorded presence of the U-2 in Australia but given the nature of this aeroplane's operations, there may have been earlier visits!

HASP operations began in 1957 from bases in Texas, Alaska, New Mexico, the Panama Canal zone and Argentina with the announced purpose of determining the worldwide distribution and concentration of radioactive debris from nuclear testing. More specifically, the classified purpose of Operation Crowflight was to gather samples of the Krypton-85 gas isotope which, it had been discovered by US scientists, could reveal the strength of Soviet nuclear detonations. These operations were flown at high altitude (60,000 feet and above) in a straight line aligned north-south-north from which the Crowflight name was derived i.e. as the crow flies! The extension of operations to Australia was signalled by a visit from the US Ambassador to Prime Minister Menzies on 5th July 1960. This was just two months after the infamous downing of Francis Gary Powers' U-2 (56-6693) in Soviet airspace on 1st May 1960.

The Crowflight U-2 operations were usually accompanied by four Martin NB-57B. Operations were typically supported by two SC-54D for SAR duties and several C-124 Globemaster II for logistics support. Crowflight IX commenced on 1st March 1962 and on 8th May it was announced that Australian operations would continue on a semi-permanent basis. The last two U-2s departed Laverton for the USA on 28th February 1965 as they were required for redeployment in S.E. Asia. These U-2s were replaced by two RB-57F which arrived on 1st March 1965. USAF Crowflight operations in Australia came to a close in February 1966.

Operation HICAT

On 14th July 1966, WU-2 56-6722 arrived at Laverton for Operation HICAT, a USAF program to study high altitude clear air turbulence. These operations commenced on 19th July 1966 and continued until 11th August when the final sortie (to Brisbane and return) was flown. During its time at Laverton, 56-6722 acquired RAAF roundels on both sides of the fin although the roundel on the port side was facing aft. The aircraft departed Laverton on 13th August 1966 on return to California. This aircraft is now an exhibit at the National Museum of the USAF at Dayton, Ohio.

NASA Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange Project

The next U-2 to visit Australia was ER-2 NASA 706 which arrived in Darwin on 14th January 1987. The aircraft operated in conjunction with the CSIRO F27 VH-CAT and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration WP-3D Orion N43RF. It is understood that the NCAR Electra N308D was also involved in the project which lasted for two months.

Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere
Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE)