RAF AND THE U-2 While the May Day 1960 shootdown of Francis...

RAF AND THE U-2 While the May Day 1960 shootdown of Francis...

After almost three years of extensive maintenance by the USAF’s 9th Maintenance Group in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, TU-2S Dragon Lady, (80-1078/‘BB’), graced the skies once more.

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.

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

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

Dos aviones de reconocimiento de gran altitud Lockheed U-2S Dragon Lady asignados al 99º Escuadrón Expedicionario de Reconocimiento (ERS) - un componente de la 9ª Ala de Reconocimiento (RW) de la USAF - llegaron a RAF Fairford en Gloucestershire, Reino Unido, el 3 de noviembre para la rotación bianual de la unidad hacia y desde RAF Akrotiri, Chipre, y Beale AFB, California.

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

En colaboración con la codiciada división Skunk Works de Lockheed Martin, la USAF ha completado el primer vuelo de un U-2S Dragon Lady mejorado como parte del programa de renovación de la aviónica (ATR) del avión de reconocimiento de gran altitud.

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”

La USAF ha confirmado que planea retirar su flota de aviones de vigilancia de gran altitud U-2S Dragon Lady en 2026, después de que los documentos presupuestarios del ejército del aire para el año fiscal 24 señalaran que las expectativas eran que "se renunciara al lenguaje protector [de la Ley de Autorización de Defensa Nacional (NDAA)]... permitiendo a la USAF seguir adelante con la desinversión del U-2 en el año fiscal 26".

Blackbird Simulations has released its first airport for Microsoft Flight Simulator, Beale Air Force Base.