U.S. Air Force Spionageflugzeug U-2 in der Luft

Video from the channel Militär News about Lockheed U-2, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 10:51. Language: German. Video type: Documentary.

German-narrated video about the U-2, the American spy plane capable of flying at about 21 km altitude and gathering intelligence day and night, and about the reasons for its long service life.

After World War II, the United States wanted to improve its surveillance capability. The best information available on the Soviet Union was outdated German wartime photos. The goal was to fly at 21 km, far above the reach of Soviet aircraft, which according to the video topped out at around 13 km. The aircraft was proposed in 1953, its production was approved in 1954, and it first flew in 1955. Its cameras began development in 1954, before the aircraft's design was finalized, and had to fit into a very tight space beneath the fuselage. During the Cold War it flew over the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam and Cuba, and was later used in Afghanistan, Iraq and NATO operations.

The last examples were built in the 1980s, and in the 1990s they received a new engine. Retirement deadlines were set but pushed back to 2014 and 2015, and the plan was eventually scrapped. According to the video, retiring it would have saved around $2.2 billion, and instead about $1.7 billion was spent modernizing it over ten years. As of 2021 there was no retirement date. Its modular design allows it to be upgraded and switched between missions quickly.