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2023-09-05

U-2 Dragon Lady: Secret of Sensor Power

The U-2, known as the Dragon Lady, is renowned spy plane in service since 1956.

Initially utilised by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the U.S. Air Force (USAF), it monitored electronic emissions, sampled the upper atmosphere for nuclear tests, and photographed sensitive sites in Cold War adversaries’ territories.

On May 1, 1960, a U-2 was shot down over the Soviet Union, sparking the U-2 Affair. In 1962, a U-2’s photos revealed Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba during the missile crisis. Beyond strategic intelligence missions, the U-2 engaged in battlefield reconnaissance and surveillance across conflicts since the Vietnam War.

The plane has periodically faced competition from other intelligence-gathering systems — for instance, Earth-orbiting satellites or the supersonic SR-71 Blackbird spy plane —but intelligence and military services consistently have found it useful because of its operational flexibility, excellent aerodynamic design, and adaptable airframe.

Since the 1980s, the U-2S Dragon Lady, a modified U-2 operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the USAF, serves as an agile high-altitude intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, offering unparalleled 24/7/365 security.

Initial Designs

The U-2’s early designs originated from Kelly Johnson, head of Lockheed Corporation’s secretive “Skunk Works,” in 1953. Under a veil of secrecy, Johnson imagined a light, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft that could elude Soviet anti-aircraft defenses.

It borrowed its sleek looks from the profile of a traditional sailplane. Its long, tapered wing —one third the weight of what was normal at the time — allowed it to fly missions covering a range of 3,000 miles and carry up to 700 pounds of the latest photoreconnaissance equipment to an unprecedented altitude of 70,000 feet.

In 1954, as Kelly Johnson presented his U-2 proposal, two competing designs for high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft had already gained approval. Johnson persevered, offering an innovative deal and a U-2 ready in eight months. Surprisingly, he almost met his deadline, with the first test flight on July 29, 1955, just nine months after the contract signing.

The U-2A took its inaugural flight in August 1955. Early Soviet missions during the late 1950s provided critical intelligence on their military capacity. It operated in Korea, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The U-2 also contributes to disaster relief, search and rescue, and peacetime reconnaissance as required.

In 1967, the U-2R arrived, 40 per cent larger. The tactical reconnaissance TR-1A, from August 1981, matched the U-2R’s structure. By October 1989, deliveries finished, and all TR-1s and U-2s became U-2Rs by 1992. Investments of US$1.7 billion since 1994 upgraded airframes and sensors, including shifting to the GE F118-101 engine, re-designating all Air Force U-2 aircraft as the U-2S.

Reconnaissance Excellence

The U-2S is a single-seat, single-engine, high-altitude/near space reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft providing signals, imagery, and electronic measurements and signature intelligence, or MASINT.

The U-2, built of aluminium and limited to subsonic flight, can cruise for many hours above 70,000 feet (21,000 metres) with a payload weighing as much as 3,000 pounds (1,350 kg). Its exact operational specifications are secret.

It was designed based on the fuselage of the supersonic F-104 Starfighter interceptor. In the late 1960s, the airframe was enlarged by more than one-third over the original structure, bringing the aircraft to a fuselage length of 63 feet (19 metres) and a wingspan of 104 feet (32 metres).

Various systems for mapping, imaging, signal detection, and intelligence-gathering are placed in nose, fuselage, and wing pods. These systems often work autonomously or with ground-based operators.

With long, narrow wings, the plane exhibits glider-like traits, swiftly raising heavy sensor payloads to exceptional altitudes, for prolonged periods. It captures diverse imagery, from multi-spectral electro-optic to infrared and synthetic aperture radar, storable or transmittable to ground centres. It supports high-resolution, wide coverage via the optical bar camera, creating film products for post-landing analysis.

It also carries a signals intelligence payload. All intelligence products except for wet film can be transmitted in near real-time anywhere in the world via air-to-ground or air-to-satellite data links, rapidly providing critical information to combatant commanders.

MASINT provides indications of recent activity in areas of interest and reveals efforts to conceal the placement or true nature of man-made objects.

Routinely flown at altitudes over 70,000 feet, the U-2 pilot must wear a full pressure suit similar to those worn by astronauts.

U-2’s low-altitude handling and bicycle-type landing gear need precision during landing. Limited visibility, a trailing second U-2 pilot, and complex controls combine earning it a reputation as the most challenging aircraft to fly.

Fuel-Efficient Engine

The U-2 is powered by a lightweight, fuel efficient General Electric F118-101 engine, which negates the need for air refuelling on long duration missions. The U-2S Block 10 electrical system upgrade replaced legacy wiring with advanced fibre-optic technology and lowered the electronic noise signature to provide a quieter platform for the newest generation of sensors.

The U-2S boasts advanced sensors for all-weather, day and night data collection.

Data is distributed in real time to combat users and global intelligence agencies through high-capacity digital links. The aircraft has the following sensor packages: electro-optical infrared camera, optical bar camera, advanced synthetic aperture radar, signals intelligence, and network-centric communication.

Soaring 13 miles high and carrying nearly 2.5 tonnes of the world’s most sophisticated equipment, it is on duty collecting unique information to support tactical warfighters and inform strategic national security advisors every hour of every day with a 97 per cent mission success rate.

It provides vital imagery and signals intelligence to decision makers across conflict phases, including peacetime warnings, low-intensity situations, and major hostilities.

Defensive Suite

An enhanced defensive suite coupled with long range standoff sensors and onboard processing enables the U2 to operate in and around contested areas while rapidly enabling 4th and 5th generation platforms to share data across domains.

It processes data via robust satellite communications, extending to unmanned systems and maritime assets using an open mission system avionic suite.

The plane connects to Ground Stations via open mission systems. It communicates with unmanned systems and maritime assets through its compliant avionic suite.

Bidirectional data exchange with F-35 and F-22 is facilitated via Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) and Intra-Flight Data Link (IFDL). Link-16 is used for 4th Gen aircraft communications. It can connect to ground missile systems like PAC-3 for support.

Kubernetes Advancement

In 2020, Lockheed Martin performed a successful U-2 flight test, using Kubernetes containerisation technology for distributed processing. This advancement aids real-time software delivery by creating a DevSecOps environment. Through a Kubernetes cloud configuration, software delivery time was significantly reduced. The U-2 integrated this setup via an Enterprise Open System Architecture Mission Computer (EMC2), akin to the Open Mission Systems (OMS) mission computer developed for the U-2 programme.

The U-2S continues to provide new capabilities to transform the future battlespace by enabling rapid development, testing, demonstration, and fielding to the warfighter.

The Air Force’s US$50 million investment in Lockheed Martin Skunk Works’ Avionics Tech Refresh (ATR) upgrade forms the latest part of a broader update plan funded through fiscal 2025 and underpins the service’s renewed intent to grow the strategic and tactical roles of the venerable ISR platform.

It confirms Air Force plans to keep the U-2S in service as a complement to the unmanned Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, reversing earlier moves to sunset the fleet.

Tech Flexibility

The U-2S has a proven ISR track record and technological flexibility. Its open architecture, SWAP-C capacity, and Open Mission Systems (OMS) compliant avionics position it as the ideal platform to field new payload capabilities efficiently, aligning with the Joint All-Domain Operations vision.

In the future, success hinges on data distribution. The Quantum Leap U-2S excels in swiftly collecting, processing, and sharing data across diverse networks, including legacy and 5th generation platforms.

Using machine-to-machine processing, it achieves rapid data-to-decision timelines, securely communicating across levels and domains.

The Avionics Tech Refresh enhances battlespace capabilities, enabling quick and cost-effective integration of new features for future operations.

Today, U-2s serve as aerial eavesdropping tools, dynamically surveying landscapes for mine and improvised explosive device (IED) indicators.

Their continued relevance is a testament to their enduring effectiveness.

Reference Text/Photo:

www.lockheedmartin.com

www.af.mil

www.britannica.com

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