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U-2

Latest in U-2

Members of Congress are again moving to block the U.S. Air Force from retiring all of its U-2S Dragon Lady spy planes. This time, legislators also want to compel the service to "fully restore" a quartet of the iconic aircraft through depot maintenance.
U-2

Four U-2S Spy Planes Would Be Restored In Bill That Would Save The Dragon Lady Fleet

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 12, 2026

A U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry, airborne warning and control system (AWACS).
U-2

Final Pieces Moving Into Place For Potential Attack On Iran

By Howard Altman

Updated on Feb 17, 2026

A 9th Reconnaissance Wing TU-2S Dragon Lady piloted by Cory “ULTRALORD” Bartholomew, 1st Reconnaissance Squadron (RS) assigned flight safety officer and U-2 instructor pilot, and Lt. Col. “JETHRO”, 1st RS instructor pilot and U-2 chief pilot, lands at Beale Air Force Base (AFB), California, Aug. 1st, 2025. “ULTRALORD” and “JETHRO”’s flight took place on the 70th anniversary of the U-2’s first flight and broke the endurance records for the U-2, flying longer than 14 hours and traveled over 6,000 nautical miles. This flight tested the capabilities of the U-2 and its pilots to its limit and showcased Beale AFB’s capacity as a power projection platform to rapidly respond to adversary actions anywhere in the world. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Frederick A. Brown)
U-2

U-2 Pilot On What It Took To Make Record-Setting 14-Hour Flight A Reality

By Howard Altman

Updated on Aug 6, 2025

U-2 dragon lady's 70th anniversary record setting.
U-2

U-2 Just Set New Records On The 70th Anniversary Of Its First Flight (Updated)

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Aug 2, 2025

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin has confirmed that U-2 Dragon Lady spy planes have been flying missions around the border with Mexico.
U-2

U-2 Spy Planes Are Flying Border Security Missions Air Force Confirms

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 14, 2025

A U2 Dragon Lady Pilot is integrated into his spacesuit for a flight to the Edge of Space. This photoshoot was done by Blair Bunting, a commercial photographer from Phoenix, AZ.
U-2

Dressing For Success At 70,000-Feet Aboard The U-2 Dragon Lady

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 11, 2024

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.
U-2

Air Force Chief Hints At Existence Of Clandestine Spy Aircraft

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jul 26, 2024

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

U-2 Retirement Reprieve Emerges In Proposed Defense Spending Bill

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 4, 2024

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
U-2

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

By Oliver Parken

Posted on Mar 25, 2024

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

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

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jan 7, 2024

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

U-2 Retirement Moves Forward With Defense Secretary Decision

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 7, 2023

U-2 Spy plane
U-2

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

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Sep 6, 2023

U-2 retirement
U-2

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Mar 16, 2023

Our Best Look Yet At The Chinese Spy Balloon’s Massive Payload
U-2

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 22, 2023

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

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Feb 21, 2023

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

U-2 Spy Planes Snooped On Chinese Surveillance Balloon

By Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Feb 6, 2023