Is U-2 Handwriting On the Wall?: 
At least two news reports claim the Pentagon has decided to speed the retirement of USAF’s high-flying U-2 reconnaissance aircraft as one more step to ease budget woes. Gen. Michael Moseley, USAF Chief of Staff, has said that he thinks the Global Hawk UAV is ready to replace the U-2. The Air Force has made upgrades to the Dragon Lady and planned to keep them flying until at least 2020.
The Air Force wants to pump more than $12 billion over the next five years into its new affordable long-range missiles program and recently asked industry to push the flights of some of those munitions beyond 1,200 miles.