U-2 anniversary celebration

  • Published
  • By 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Airmen from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing held an anniversary celebration for the U-2 Dragon Lady Aug. 1, 2014, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.

The event commemorated the 59th year of flight for the high-altitude, all-weather reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft. Guest speakers Senior Master Sgt. David Morgan, the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron dragon aircraft maintenance unit superintendent, and Lt. Col. Alex Castro, the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron commander, underscored the Dragon Lady's significant role in Air Force history and operations.

"The U-2 program is a unique combination of talented aviators, exceptional civilian contractors, and Airmen who day-in and day-out devote their abilities to launching, recovering and providing the high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance the Dragon Lady is known for," said Castro. "For 59 years, this program has carried the most advanced imagery and signals systems in the world--no other aircraft in the inventory can match its performance, sensor range or versatility. It simply just works."

The event was capped off with a cake cutting by Brig. Gen. John T. Quintas, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, and Airman First Class Sabrina Fisher, a 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron tactical aircraft maintenance journeyman deployed from Beale Air Force Base, California.

Displays were set up to educate visitors on the important and unique role the U-2 has played in the history of the Air Force. Built in complete secrecy by Kelly Johnson and the Lockheed Skunk Works, the original U-2A first flew in August 1955. Early flights over the Soviet Union in the late 1950s provided the president and other U.S. decision makers with key intelligence on Soviet military capability. In October 1962, the U-2 photographed the buildup of Soviet offensive nuclear missiles in Cuba, touching off the Cuban Missile Crisis. In more recent times, the U-2 has provided intelligence during operations in Korea, the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq. When requested, the U-2 also provides peacetime reconnaissance in support of disaster relief from floods, earthquakes and forest fires as well as search and rescue operations.

Today, the U-2 provides high-altitude, all-weather surveillance and reconnaissance day or night in direct support of U.S. and allied forces. It delivers critical imagery and signals intelligence to decision makers throughout all phases of conflict including peacetime indications and warnings, low-intensity conflict and large-scale hostilities.

Routinely flown at altitudes over 70,000 feet, the U-2 pilot must wear a full pressure suit similar to those worn by astronauts. The low-altitude handling characteristics of the aircraft and bicycle-type landing gear require precise control inputs during landing; forward visibility is also limited due to the extended aircraft nose and "taildragger" configuration. A second U-2 pilot normally "chases" each landing in a high-performance vehicle, assisting the pilot by providing radio inputs for altitude and runway alignment. These characteristics combine to earn the U-2 a widely-accepted title as the most difficult aircraft in the world to fly.

"As an officer, I'm amazed at the work that the U-2 Airmen provide our ISR benefactors," said Castro. "As a squadron commander, I'm honored to lead the largest high-altitude ISR team in the Air Force--but as a driver, I'm blessed to simply be Lt. Col. Alex "Fidel" Castro--Dragon 790."

U-2s are home based at the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, Beale Air Force Base, California, but are rotated to operational detachments worldwide. U-2 pilots are trained at Beale using five two-seat aircraft designated as TU-2S before deploying for operational missions.