5/28/2023 0 Comments U2 aircraft![]() ![]() U-2 SPYPLANES : What You Didn't Know About Them ! by David Reade - P-3 Publications Research U-2 Aircraft Department of Defense (DoD) and Lockheed Martin Corp.U-2 SPYPLANES : What You Didn't Know About Them ! Defense Budget Forecast,Ī comprehensive analytical database containing historical and forecast budget figures, year-to-year funding comparisons,Ĭongressional budget markups, program justification documents, and much more. This data is available in Forecast International's U.S. U-2 pilots train at Beale AFB using two-seat trainer aircraft (designated as TU-2S) before deploying for operational missions. With the re-engining, all Air Force U-2 aircraft had their designation changed to U-2S.Īll U-2s are based at the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base (AFB) in California, but are rotated to operational detachments worldwide. The old Pratt & Whitney J75 turbojet with a new General Electric F118-GE-101 turbofan engine. ![]() These upgrades also included a re-engining program, which would replace Since 1994, about $2 billion has been invested to modernize the U-2 airframe and sensors. The last U-2 and TR-1 aircraft were delivered to the Air Force in October 1989 and, in 1992, all TR-1s and U-2s were designated as U-2Rs. The U-2R (first flight in 1967) was 40% larger than the original aircraft.Ī tactical reconnaissance version, the TR-1A, first flew in August 1981 and was structurally identical to the U-2R. The U-2 Dragon Lady has undergone multiple modifications and upgrades over the years. The U-2 Dragon Lady is widely regarded as the most difficult aircraft in the world to fly. (21,300 meters), the U-2 pilot must wear a full pressure body-suit similar to those worn by astronauts. Routinely flown at altitudes over 70,000 feet Via air-to-ground or air-to-satellite data links, rapidly providing critical information to combatant commanders. All intelligence products except for wet film can be transmitted in near real-time anywhere in the world The U-2 also carries a signals intelligence (SIGINT) payload. In addition, it also supports high-resolution, broad-area synoptic coverage providedīy the optical bar camera producing traditional film products which are developed and analyzed after landing. Which can be stored or sent to ground exploitation centers. ![]() The U-2 is capable of gathering a variety of imagery, including multi-spectral electro-optic, infrared, and synthetic aperture radar products Which touched off the Cuban Missile Crisis. The U-2 was the famed spy plane that, in October 1962, photographed the buildup of Soviet offensive nuclear missiles in Cuba, decision makers with key intelligence on Soviet military capability. The original U-2A was built in absolute secrecy by aeronautical engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson and the Lockheed Skunk Works and first flew in August 1955.Įarly flights over the Soviet Union in the late 1950s provided the President and other U.S. The aircraft is equipped with the following sensor packages: the RaytheonĪSARS-2 advanced synthetic aperture radar electro-optical infrared (EO/IR) camera optical bar camera signals intelligence (SIGINT) The first variants of the U-2 were powered by the Pratt & Whitney (PW) J57 turbojet engine, while the U-2C/TR-1A were powered by the PW J75 turbojet. Is a less powerful version of the F118-GE-100 Turbofan engine (with 17,000 pounds of thrust), which eliminates/reduces the need for aerial refueling on long duration missions. The U-2S is powered by a lightweight (and fuel efficient) General Electric F118-GE-101 ![]() Glider-like characteristics and allow it to quickly lift heavy sensor payloads to unmatched altitudes. The aircraft provides signals intelligence (SIGINT), imagery intelligence (IMINT), and electronic measurements and signature intelligence (MASINT). The Lockheed Martin U-2S Dragon Lady is a single-seat, single-engine, high-altitude/near space reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft. ![]()
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