Abstract

New U.S. Spy Flights from Pakistan

A secret "letter of understanding," granted the United States full rights of access to the Peshawar base and the use of the Badaber electronic listening facility for ten years and Pakistan's military authorities pulled back from their part of the bargain in the face of international exposure. Unlike the U-2, which was created primarily for high-altitude surveillance of land-based targets, the P-3 is an integral part of the U.S. military's global tracking network, designed to monitor the Soviet flotilla of nuclear submarines. The P-3 is the West's standard land-based anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol aircraft. The P-3 has none of the sleek elegance of the U-2; nevertheless, it contains the most sophisticated electronic equipment available in the high-technology world of anti-submarine warfare.