Watch Part 2 of this story here:    • Lockheed U2 | The most famous secret...  

The Lockheed U2 "Dragon Lady" is a jet highaltitude reconnaissance aircraft developed by Lockheed in the 1950s.
The aircraft was created to perform observation flights in any region of the world, even under the condition of active counteraction by air defense. The basis of its concept is the altitude of flights more than 70,000 feet or 21 km, unreachable for aircraft and artillery of that time. The aircraft was actively operated by the CIA and the US Air Force until the 1970s, and then just the Air Force.
During the entire period of exploitation, the U2 took part in almost all military operations of the US Armed Forces and special forces, as well as conducted reconnaissance missions in all regions, including the USSR and the PRC. Under the conditions of an arms race, the air defense forces sometimes "caught up" with the highaltitude reconnaissance aircraft and they managed to shoot it down. The most famous of such incidents was the shootdown of a U2 with the pilot Francis Gary Powers, in 1960. However, despite all the difficulties and scandals, the U2 continues to serve up to this day.

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