Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady
Fairford U-2 wears tribute nose art
Personnel from the U-2 unit operating from RAF Fairford applied nose art to one of the aircraft as a tribute to the three US Army soldiers killed recently by a drone at the Tower 22 base in Jordan.
Beale AFB showcases joint airpower capabilities in Elephant Walk
A number of USAF-operated aircraft that are home-based at Beale AFB carried out an elephant walk on January 4 to demonstrate the California base’s joint airpower capabilities
USAF’s 9th ERS swaps Dragons at Fairford
Two U-2S Dragon Lady high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft assigned to the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron – a component of the USAF’s 9th Reconnaissance Wing – arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, UK, on November 3 for the unit’s biannual rotation to and from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, and Beale AFB, California
USAF U-2S completes first flight after avionics upgrade
In partnership with Lockheed Martin’s coveted Skunk Works division, the USAF has completed the first flight of an upgraded U-2S Dragon Lady as part of the high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft’s ongoing Avionics Tech Refresh programme
USAF plots U-2S Dragon Lady retirement for 2026
The USAF has confirmed that it plans to retire its fleet of U-2S Dragon Lady high-altitude surveillance aircraft in 2026, after the air arm’s FY24 budget documents noted that expectations were for “protective [National Defense Authorization Act] language to be waived… allowing the USAF to move forward with U-2 divestment in FY26”
Blackbird Simulations releases Beale AFB
Blackbird Simulations has released its first airport for Microsoft Flight Simulator, Beale Air Force Base.
Inside the RAF's secret U-2 detachment
The recently declassified reports from Project ‘Oldster’, the RAF element of the CIA’s U-2 programme, reveal more detail on life with the Turkey-based detachment than has ever been public before
Lockheed U-2: everything you've ever wanted to know
In the 2021 special publication Spyplanes, Bob Archer detailed one of America's most notable and famous spy planes, the high-flying Lockheed U-2
How Britain was involved in SR-71 and U-2 intelligence-gathering
The Cold War presence at British bases of US SR-71 and U-2 reconnaissance aircraft has been well-documented. Less so, however, is the UK’s direct involvement in their intelligence-gathering efforts
The role of the USAF's U-2 spy plane in monitoring the war in Ukraine
The motto of the U-2 pilots is ‘In God We Trust, All Others We Monitor’. The Dragon Lady has been a key asset in many conflicts, not least the war in Ukraine. Combat Aircraft Journal reports