Last Hurrah for the Storied U-2 By John A. Tirpak A year away from its likely retirement—and 70 years to the day after the first U-2 flight—a two-seat version of the Dragon Lady from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale...
Dragon Lady
The famed U-2 Dragon Lady took center stage during a recent “elephant walk” at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. As the spy plane approaches retirement in the next few years, eight airframes lined the runway Jan. 4—around 30 percent of the entire fleet.
The Air Force says it will not divest its fleet of U-2 Dragon Lady planes in fiscal 2025, despite language to the contrary in the service’s 2021 budget request. Air Force Magazine first reported that the budget submission, unveiled Feb. 10, planned to start retiring ...
