Robins supporting U-2S, other Haiti relief missions Published Jan. 29, 2010 By Staff Report ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- A U-2S surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft will be flying missions from Robins in support of Operation Unified Response, the ongoing relief effort in Haiti. Advance teams and equipment arrived Monday from Beale Air Force Base, Calif., and the aircraft arrived Wednesday. Officials expect the U-2S to begin flying reconnaissance missions over Haiti as early as Saturday. The U-2S will be gathering high-quality imagery, broad area shots, that will eliminate the need to 'patch together' smaller images gathered by other Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance assets. It will give decision makers on the ground a broader picture to use when making decisions on how to get help to those most in need. Personnel from the 78th Air Base Wing and 116th Air Control Wing worked closely together to help bed down the U-2S's support team and aircraft and will continue to provide support during the team's stay. Robins' 560th Aircraft Sustainment Group has been supporting the Haiti mission through its management of the U-2S and other Command, Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance assets. Wing members are working on engineering solutions and architectural drawings to be used by the Air Staff in determining how to use the new MC-12 reconnaissance aircraft in Haiti. An RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned aerial system is also flying missions over Haiti, as are 10 MQ-1 Predator UASs, which provide 24/7 full motion video support. The Air Force is orchestrating military and commercial efforts to update maps and locate areas of greatest distress. The focus of ISR assets is on support to security of the relief operations, force protection, and monitoring migrations of displaced persons. Air Force Reserve Command headquarters staff members here have also been integral in planning and supporting Haiti relief efforts from Reserve installations across the country. Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., is one of two ports of entry for Operation Unified Response and Reserve Airmen at Homestead have processed more than one million pounds of cargo bound for Haiti. Reserve aircrews across the U.S. have flown more than 70 missions, transporting more than two million pounds of cargo and 500 people into the country since Jan. 13. The command's Crisis Action Team has been operating around the clock since Jan. 14.