The Lockheed U-2 is an American military and intelligence reconnaissance aircraft designed for sustained flight at high altitude. Its long, narrow wings support substantial sensor payloads and give it glider-like flying characteristics. Later U-2S aircraft differ significantly in equipment and powerplant from the original 1950s machines.[1][2]
Secret development
Testing began at Groom Lake in Nevada in 1955. During a high-speed taxi test on 1 August, Tony LeVier unintentionally lifted the first aircraft off the ground. He had difficulty judging height over the unmarked lakebed, but landed with only minor damage. The CIA records the first planned test flight on 4 August.[2]
The remote location allowed the new reconnaissance programme to develop away from public observation. Its secrecy was closely connected to the intended mission: gathering information over territory where conventional reconnaissance aircraft would be vulnerable.[2]
Cold War reconnaissance
The U-2 became a prominent instrument of intelligence collection over the Soviet Union. On 1 May 1960, a U-2 flown by Francis Gary Powers was shot down during a CIA reconnaissance flight. The incident demonstrated that altitude alone could no longer assure safety from Soviet air defences.[3]
U-2S capabilities
The later U-2S employs a General Electric F118-101 engine and can carry imagery and signals-intelligence sensors. Available systems include photographic, electro-optical, infrared and radar equipment, allowing different kinds of information to be collected according to the mission.[1]
The aircraft is normally operated by one pilot; two-seat TU-2S trainers support conversion training. Air Force operations have centred on the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale, with detachments deployed elsewhere. Modernisation of engines and sensors enabled the family to serve requirements extending far beyond its original photographic overflight mission, including surveillance in support of deployed forces.[1]