U-2 Thread

[Flyaway]

As the U-2 remains one of my favourite military aircraft I thought I would start a dedicated thread for it. As well as it being one of the more venerable models of aircraft still flying.

U-2 Avionics Upgrade Paves Way For Command And Control Role | Aviation Week Network

Far from being retired, the storied U-2 is being upgraded into the U.S. Air Force’s first fully open mission systems compliant fleet.

aviationweek.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

I'll throw in a cheeky link to the thread on the Beriev S-13.
(Flees like a thief in the night)

 

[FighterJock]

Only a few years ago there was talk of retiring the U-2 and replacing it with the Global Hawk, now with the future upgrades it looks as if the U-2 could be like the B-52 and go on until the 2030s-2040s

 

[Grey Havoc]

FlightGlobal (Flight International) story on the upgrade:

U-2 to get avionics, mission computer update

Lockheed Martin recently secured a $50 million US Air Force contract to update the venerable U-2 spy plane. The project involves three elements: a new avionics suite, a new mission computer, and modern cockpit displays, says Lockheed. Source: Lockheed Martin The U-2S spyplane Designed to the...

www.flightglobal.com

 

[Flyaway]

I hope people don’t mind me posting this as I watched it the other day, and thought it was quite interesting about the U-2.

 

[FighterJock]

I hope people don’t mind me posting this as I watched it the other day, and thought it was quite interesting about the U-2.

I watched it when it was first aired on Forces Tv, and it contained a lot of information that I never new about the U-2 before.

 

[Flyaway]

Maybe it’s just me but I was surprised to see the paint peeling off some of the U-2s in it. Doesn’t the paint perform some kind of small ‘stealth’ function?

 

[FighterJock]

Maybe it’s just me but I was surprised to see the paint peeling off some of the U-2s in it. Doesn’t the paint perform some kind of small ‘stealth’ function?

I had known about the previous attempts to add stealth technology to the U-2 shortly after the Garry Powers shoot down by adding metal string covered in Radar Absorbent Material, but it failed, could this be a modern attempt?

 

[Flyaway]

AW podcast:

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/podcast-dragon-lady-heading-future-after-six-decades

 

[Grey Havoc]

 

[Flyaway]

Famed U-2 Spy Plane Takes on a New Surveillance Mission

Designed with slide rules in the 1950s, the stealthy high flier still has a lot to offer

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[Archibald]

With all the RB-57D and U-2 shot down over China, Cuba (plus of course the Gary Power aircraft) - I was wondering if the Soviets examined their cameras and sensors ? Did they got any tech advances out of them ?

 

[Grey Havoc]

The film from Power's aircraft was used in the Soviet space program, IIRC.

 

[TsrJoe]

Lockheed U.2A Angel over Suez, 1956 ... https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/u-2-monitors-suez-crisis.html

 

[jsport]

Famed U-2 Spy Plane Takes on a New Surveillance Mission

Designed with slide rules in the 1950s, the stealthy high flier still has a lot to offer

www.scientificamerican.com

Needs to have limited active ballistic missile defense role.. threats are likely know it is there, so why not use the altitude to get a jump on intercepting TBMs,

 

[edwest]

This upgrading of the U-2 makes financial and time sense. The Powers U-2 apparently crashed like a glider. I recall a photo published by the Russians that showed it on the ground with structural breaks at the usual/expected places.

 

[Flyaway]

China Complains a U-2 Spy Plane Infiltrated Its No-Fly Zone

The American exercise was a "naked provocative action," China says.

www.popularmechanics.com

 

[edwest]

The usual "naked provocation." I'm sure Cuba had similar thoughts during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Meanwhile, the US has to make sure that our current new Cold War enemy number one gets a good look from to time.

 

[TomcatViP]

China complains on the U-2 overflight to not look embarrassed by USN carrier tempering their macho attitude toward Taiwan (3 differents military exercice on the same time) trawling around.
European nations that have lost WWII that day in Munich should be there also. Forefront.