C?llins A???s??c? w?s ?w????? ?n In???init? D?liv???/In???init? Q??ntit? (IDIQ) s?st?inm?nt c?nt??ct ??? t?? U.S. Ai? F??c?’s (USAF) U-2 ??c?nn?iss?nc? ?i?c???t ??????m wit? ? c?ilin? v?l?? ?? $493 milli?n t? s?????t t?? USAF’s ?l??t ?? U-2 ?l?ct??-??tic?l/in?????? s?ns??s. T?? USAF ?ls? ?w????? C?llins ? $66.2 milli?n T?sk O???? ??? t?? ?i?st ???? ?? s?????t, ?n? ??ll?-n???ti?t?? ??ti?ns ??? t?? s?c?n? ?n? t?i?? ????s ?? s??vic?s ?n? s?????t v?l??? ?t $114.6 milli?n.
T?? L?ck???? U-2, nickn?m?? “D????n L???”, is ?n Am??ic?n sin?l?-j?t ?n?in?, ?i?? ?ltit??? ??c?nn?iss?nc? ?i?c???t ?????t?? ?? t?? Unit?? St?t?s Ai? F??c? (USAF) ?n? ???vi??sl? ?l?wn ?? t?? C?nt??l Int?lli??nc? A??nc? (CIA). It ???vi??s ??? ?n? ni??t, ?i??-?ltit??? (70,000 ???t, 21,300 m?t??s), ?ll-w??t??? int?lli??nc? ??t???in?. T?? U-2 ??s ?ls? ???n ?s?? ??? ?l?ct??nic s?ns?? ??s???c?, s?t?llit? c?li???ti?n, sci?nti?ic ??s???c?, ?n? c?mm?nic?ti?ns ?????s?s. T?? U-2 is ?n? ?? ? ??n???l ?? ?i?c???t t???s t? ??v? s??v?? t?? USAF ??? ?v?? 50 ????s, ?l?n? wit? t?? B??in? B-52, B??in? KC-135, ?n? L?ck???? C-130.
“C?llins is ????? t? ?ns??? t?? U-2 ?l?t???m’s ?n??in? missi?n ????in?ss wit? ??li??l? ?n? m?t??? ISR ?ss?ts t??t s?????t USAF t?c?n?l??? ins??ti?ns, m????niz?ti?n ?n? in???m?ti?n ??min?nc? initi?tiv?s,” s?i? D?v? McCl???, vic? ???si??nt ?n? ??n???l m?n???? ?? ISR & S??c? S?l?ti?ns ??? C?llins A???s??c?. “T??s? ?w???s c?ntin?? ??? 60+ ????s ?? ?n????ll?l?? ?n?-t?-?n? s?st?inm?nt s?????t ??? t?? U-2 ?n? ??? t??m’s c?mmitm?nt t? t?? w???i??t??.”
C?llins A???s??c? ??s ? l?n?, s?cc?ss??l ?ist??? ?? ??liv??in? t?? ?i???st l?v?l ?? ?????ti?n?l ?v?il??ilit? ?n? ??????m?nc? ??? ISR missi?ns. Hi?? ?ltit??? im??in? is ???n??ti?n?l t? C?llins A???s??c?, ?n? t?? S?ni?? Y??? El?ct?? O?tic?l R?c?nn?iss?nc? S?st?m (SYERS)-2C s?ns?? ??s c?ntin??? t? ??t??????m ?t??? s?st?ms ??? ??c???s. C?llins A???s??c? is ? l????? in t?c?n?l??ic?ll? ??v?nc?? ?n? int?lli??nt s?l?ti?ns ??? t?? ?l???l ????s??c? ?n? ????ns? in??st??. C?llins A???s??c? ??s t?? c????iliti?s, c?m?????nsiv? ???t??li? ?n? ?x???tis? t? s?lv? c?st?m??s’ t?????st c??ll?n??s ?n? t? m??t t?? ??m?n?s ?? ? ???i?l? ?v?lvin? ?l???l m??k?t.
