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  • Old Design, Young Airplane

    Over the years, the U-2 has been improved and modified many times. Several different models used a wide variety of sensors and cameras. The U-2 was even studied at one point for use on aircraft carriers to extend its range. The most visible change to the U-2 was the introduction of the U-2R in 1967.

  • Flying the U-2

    The U-2 is a difficult airplane to fly. With its long wings, light construction, and unusual landing gear, the Dragon Lady has always been a challenge even for the best pilots. As a result, there have been several accidents and fatalities over the years. When flying at high altitude, early U-2s had

  • U-2s Around the World in the Cold War

    The U-2 flew from bases around the world during the Cold War, including West Germany, England, France, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Pakistan, South Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, Thailand and South Korea. The USAF called its U-2 operators "Air Weather Squadrons," while the CIA called the same

  • Cuban Missile Crisis

    The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 dramatically proved the importance of the U-2 and aerial reconnaissance. On Oct. 14, 1962, two USAF U-2s photographed portions of Cuba, revealing Soviet offensive nuclear missiles based only 90 miles from U.S. shores. President John F. Kennedy placed U.S. forces on

  • The Powers Incident

    In 1960 the U-2 was at the center of international politics. CIA civilian pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the USSR while photographing missile sites at Sverdlovsk and Plesetsk. The Soviets reportedly fired fourteen newly developed SA-2 surface-to-air missiles at his U-2. Though none hit

  • U-2 Mission

    The Air Force jointly managed U-2 development, testing and missions with the CIA from the start. Pilots for overflights of the USSR, though, were civilians working for the CIA. President Dwight D. Eisenhower believed sending military pilots over the USSR would be perceived as an act of war, so USAF

  • Origins of the U-2

    In the early 1950s, Soviet military and economic developments were a mystery to the United States because the USSR was a secretive, closed society. Americans feared a rising threat from a nation they knew was developing long-range nuclear missiles and bombers. Before reconnaissance satellites were

  • Dragon Lady: The U-2 and Early Cold War Reconnaissance

    For more than 50 years, Lockheed Martin's U-2 has played a vital role in American strategic intelligence. The unique high-flying reconnaissance jet was designed early in the Cold War to overfly and photograph military activities in the Soviet Union and other communist nations. The U-2, nicknamed

  • RB-47H Shot Down

    In the summer of 1960, the Soviet Union remained on high alert for overflights following the shoot down in May 1960 of a U-2 flown by Francis Gary Powers of the CIA. On July 1, 1960, a Strategic Air Command (SAC) RB-47H crew was flying in international airspace over the Arctic, north of the USSR,

  • Y-4 Horizontal Periscopic Bombsight

    Unlike previous USAF medium bombers, the B-47 carried a combination bombing and navigation system operated by a bombardier-navigator. By automating many functions, this system reduced crew size by eliminating the need for a separate bombardier and navigator. The bombardment part of the system