Search

Air Force Studying If U-2 Reconnaissance Plane Could Fly Till 2100

Air Force Studying If U-2 Reconnaissance Plane Could Fly Till 2100
An Air Force U-2 flies a training mission. Photo: Air Force.

The U.S. Air Force is exploring whether it could keep flying its U-2 Dragon Lady high-altitude reconnaissance airplanes for the rest of the century, a service official said March 15.A “structural study” is looking at whether the Air Force could fully use the U-2’s estimated lifespan of 75,000 flight hours, “which would take them out to 2100,” said Susan Thornton, the Air Force’s director for information dominance programs. “So pretty far out there.” The Air Force, which has been flying the…

Subscriber-only content. Please log in below.

Not a subscriber or registered user yet?

Please contact us at clientservices@accessintel.com or call us at 888-707-5814 (Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Friday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET.), to start a free trial, get pricing information, order a reprint, or post an article link on your website.



Congress Updates

Wisconsin GOP Lawmakers Urge Trump Admin Support For Marines’ JLTV Second Supplier Effort

Wisconsin’s GOP congressional delegation is urging the Trump administration to support legislative language enabling the Marine Corps to potentially bring in a second Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) supplier. The […]


Senate’s CR Has Ship Construction Exemption, Forgoes White House’s Battleship, Munitions Requests

The Senate on Sunday released a bipartisan stopgap funding proposal to keep the government open through December 11, which would also secure additional funds to support ongoing shipbuilding efforts and […]


U.S. Fighter Fleet Will Expand By 2040 But More Stealth Aircraft Will Mean Less Availability, CBO Says

The number of fighter aircraft in the U.S. military inventory will decline over the next few years before expanding to a greater number than currently, but their availability for operational […]


White House Details ‘Concerns’ With Shipbuilding, Spaced-Based Interceptor Oversight In House’s NDAA

The White House has detailed “a number of concerns” with the newly-passed House version of the next defense policy bill, to include the legislation’s limits on procuring Navy ships built […]