U-2

Latest in U-2

The U.S. Air Force is planning to retire its remaining RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance drones by the end of the 2027 Fiscal Year. The service says it has become clear that the RQ-4s would be overly vulnerable in any future conflict against a peer or near-peer adversary, but it’s not clear what aircraft (or other assets) might fill the resulting capability gap. This only adds to the growing evidence that a top-secret, high-flying, stealth spy drone, commonly referred to as the RQ-180, or variants or derivatives thereof, is getting close to entering service, if it isn’t already being employed operationally on some level.

Air Force Chief Hints At Existence Of Clandestine Spy Aircraft Air Force Chief Hints At Existence Of Clandestine Spy Aircraft

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Jul 26 5:51 PM EDT

Congress is moving to block the Air Force from retiring or preparing to retire any U-2 spy planes in the next fiscal year.

U-2 Retirement Reprieve Emerges In Proposed Defense Spending Bill U-2 Retirement Reprieve Emerges In Proposed Defense Spending Bill

By Joseph Trevithick

Jun 4 4:27 PM EDT

U.S. Air Force TU-2s Dragon Lady 1078 flies to U.S. Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California, where it will undergo normal Program Depot-level Maintenance (PDM) and be painted black, after almost three years of maintenance at Beale Air Force Base, California, Feb. 29, 2024. Aircraft 1078 was involved in an accident in 2021 that left it unable to move to Plant 42, and after passing low flight and high flight tests, was able to fly to Palmdale where Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Detachment 4 will oversee Lockheed Martin’s PDM of aircraft 1078. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexis Pentzer

TU-2S Dragon Lady Resurrected For The Twilight Of The Spy Plane’s Service TU-2S Dragon Lady Resurrected For The Twilight Of The Spy Plane’s Service

By Oliver Parken

Mar 25 7:27 PM EDT

Beale AFB executes an elephant walk as the U-2's service approaches its end.

U-2 Dragon Lady Spy Planes Execute A Bittersweet Elephant Walk U-2 Dragon Lady Spy Planes Execute A Bittersweet Elephant Walk

By Tyler Rogoway

Jan 7 4:46 PM EST

U-2 retirement moves forward with secretary of defense waiver sent to congress.

U-2 Retirement Moves Forward With Defense Secretary Decision U-2 Retirement Moves Forward With Defense Secretary Decision

By Joseph Trevithick

Nov 6 9:23 PM EST

The U-2 Dragon Lady As You Have Never Seen It Before The U-2 Dragon Lady As You Have Never Seen It Before

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Sep 6 1:51 PM EDT

U-2 Dragon Lady Spy Planes Are Facing The Axe Again: Report U-2 Dragon Lady Spy Planes Are Facing The Axe Again: Report

By Joseph Trevithick

Mar 15 8:54 PM EDT

Our Best Look Yet At The Chinese Spy Balloon’s Massive Payload

Our Best Look Yet At The Chinese Spy Balloon’s Massive Payload Our Best Look Yet At The Chinese Spy Balloon’s Massive Payload

By Joseph Trevithick

Feb 22 6:23 PM EST

U-2 Pilot’s Selfie Flying Alongside Chinese Spy Balloon Leaks (Updated)

U-2 Pilot’s Selfie Flying Alongside Chinese Spy Balloon Leaks (Updated) U-2 Pilot’s Selfie Flying Alongside Chinese Spy Balloon Leaks (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Feb 21 5:22 PM EST

U-2 Spy Planes Snooped On Chinese Surveillance Balloon

U-2 Spy Planes Snooped On Chinese Surveillance Balloon U-2 Spy Planes Snooped On Chinese Surveillance Balloon

By Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway

Feb 6 3:12 PM EST

Optical Bar Camera film retirement U2 Beale

The U-2 Dragon Lady Finally Says Goodbye To Film Cameras At Beale AFB The U-2 Dragon Lady Finally Says Goodbye To Film Cameras At Beale AFB

By Emma Helfrich, Tyler Rogoway

Jul 1 2:58 PM EDT

This Is The Armada Of Spy Planes Tracking Russia’s Forces Surrounding Ukraine

This Is The Armada Of Spy Planes Tracking Russia’s Forces Surrounding Ukraine This Is The Armada Of Spy Planes Tracking Russia’s Forces Surrounding Ukraine

By Thomas Newdick

Feb 18 8:27 PM EST

The Secretive U-2 Spy Plane Missions Flown Out Of Norway’s Bodø Airbase

The Secretive U-2 Spy Plane Missions Flown Out Of Norway’s Bodø Airbase The Secretive U-2 Spy Plane Missions Flown Out Of Norway’s Bodø Airbase

By Thomas Newdick

Jan 6 5:14 PM EST

Watch This 2021 Ford Bronco Play Chase Car For A U-2 Dragon Lady Spy Plane

Watch This 2021 Ford Bronco Play Chase Car For A U-2 Dragon Lady Spy Plane Watch This 2021 Ford Bronco Play Chase Car For A U-2 Dragon Lady Spy Plane

By Joseph Trevithick

Aug 9 1:40 PM EDT

F-22 And F-35 Datalinks Finally Talk Freely With Each Other Thanks To A U-2 Flying Translator

F-22 And F-35 Datalinks Finally Talk Freely With Each Other Thanks To A U-2 Flying Translator F-22 And F-35 Datalinks Finally Talk Freely With Each Other Thanks To A U-2 Flying Translator

By Joseph Trevithick and Tyler Rogoway

Apr 30 4:18 PM EDT

U-2 Flight Along The Border Yesterday Wasn’t A Surveillance Mission

U-2 Flight Along The Border Yesterday Wasn’t A Surveillance Mission U-2 Flight Along The Border Yesterday Wasn’t A Surveillance Mission

By Joseph Trevithick

Apr 2 1:14 PM EDT