SWIR And The U-2

The U-2 spy plane is the leading reconnaissance platform for the United States, able to see at great lengths inside national borders with a closed airspace. The camera used in today’s U-2, the SYERS camera, uses electronic sensors to see in both the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) band (thermal energy) and the short wave infrared (SWIR) band (reflected light). It is the SWIR band that gives the SYERS its remarkable atmospheric penetration capability in reflected light. Download the full application note for more on the secret to U-2’s imaging power.