Latest news with #DragonLady
Daily Record
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Record
US secret 'Dragon Lady' U-2 spy plane spotted flying at 60,000ft over Scotland
Famous aircraft, used for collecting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, was tracked looming about twice as high as commercial airliners A top-secret American spy plane has been spotted soaring at a height of 60,000ft over Scotland. The Lockheed U-2S 'Dragon Lady', utilised for intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance, was tracked flying about twice as high as commercial airliners. The aircraft operates round the clock to ensure global security, delivering high-level intelligence data for the US Air Force, CIA and NASA. Its Dragon Lady nickname originates from a 1930s' comic strip character from Terry and the Pirates. Plane enthusiasts across the UK identified the spy plane on global flight tracking service Flightradar24 as it flew over the Rosneath Peninsula in Argyll and Bute. The aircraft is typically stationed at the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, Beale Air Force Base in California, but is deployed on worldwide operations. The fleet regularly operates from RAF airbases, RAF Fairford in the UK and further afield from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. It was built during the Cold War to gather reconnaissance info on Soviet military operations through imagery, taking its maiden flight in July 1956, reports the Express. The aircraft is one of the longest-serving in the US military, flying from allied bases around the globe, including the aforementioned UK and Cyprus as well as France, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Pakistan, South Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, Thailand and South Korea. The Dragon Lady is capable of reaching heights of 70,000 feet, with pilots donning full-pressure suits akin to astronauts to shield them from the harsh conditions at such high altitudes. Earlier this year in January, the craft was spotted soaring at 60,000ft above the Ayrshire coast en route to RAF Fairford. The U-2 found itself at the heart of one of the most fraught periods between the US and the Soviet Union when, in the 1960s, the spy plane was shot down over Russia. President Dwight Eisenhower, under the impression that pilot Gary Powers could not have survived, approved a cover story claiming it was a NASA aircraft that had gone astray. However, much to their embarrassment, the Soviets later disclosed that Powers was alive and had admitted to espionage (pilots were instructed if captured "to tell them everything that they knew", as they were given minimal information about their missions other than targets on maps). The wreckage of Powers's aircraft was utilised to create a replica named the Beriev S-13. This was subsequently abandoned in favour of the MiG-25R and reconnaissance satellites.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
High-flying U-2 'Dragon Lady' spy planes and other recon aircraft are doing border security as Trump cracks down
The US is flying U-2 "Dragon Lady" spy planes on patrol missions around the southern border. The top Air Force officer confirmed the involvement of the aircraft last Friday. The U-2 planes join other surveillance aircraft on missions around the US-Mexico border. The US military has its high-altitude U-2 "Dragon Lady" spy planes and other reconnaissance aircraft flying patrol missions along the southern border, a senior Air Force officer has confirmed on social media. US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said Friday that U-2, RC-135, and remotely piloted aircraft — or drone — crews are providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support for US Northern Command at the border "to restore sovereignty and protect American communities." The Trump administration has deployed a range of American military assets to the US southern border with Mexico as part of the crackdown on illegal immigration and the drug cartels, which officials have said are national security concerns. Deployed military assets include aircraft, ground forces, armored vehicles, and even warships. US Air Force and Navy planes have been flying ISR missions around Mexico for several weeks now. The U-2 is a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft that can fly at over 70,000 feet and collect intelligence. Made by Lockheed Corporation, it was introduced in the mid-1950s and has been operated by the Air Force and CIA since then. During the Cold War, it flew over the Soviet Union and other communist countries. One of these planes was famously shot down in 1960 by Soviet Air Defense Forces. The high-flying U-2 can provide signals, imagery, electronic measurements, and signature intelligence, also known as MASINT. They are based at the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base in California, although they are rotated to operational detachments around the world. Because U-2 planes operate at such high altitudes, on the edge of space, the pilots wear full-pressure suits like those worn by astronauts. The aircraft have been upgraded throughout its service life, and the 33 that are still active were built in the 1980s. The aircraft is likely looking at retirement in the next few years, possibly as early as next year. CNN reported the U-2's involvement in the border missions last month, but Allvin's comments on X last Friday appear to be the first public confirmation of its involvement. Meanwhile, the RC-135 Rivet Joint is a reconnaissance aircraft that was introduced in the 1960s. Allvin didn't specify what kind of drones are involved, but CNN reported in February that MQ-9 Reaper drones had been flying covert missions inside Mexican airspace to monitor the cartels. Among the ISR aircraft flying missions on the border, P-8 Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft have also been reported to be involved. The Trump administration has made the southern border one of its main priorities, dispatching a large amount of military hardware to the area in a bid to tackle immigration and drug smuggling into the US. President Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring a national emergency at the US-Mexico border at the start of his term. Since then, the Pentagon has dispatched thousands of troops, Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters, and Stryker armored personnel carriers to the area. A Navy destroyer, USS Gravely, that was involved in the Red Sea conflict has also been deployed. Read the original article on Business Insider
