Lockheed U-2 - VibeWire Magazine

How Many Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady Spy Planes Are Left?

Fewer than 30 Lockheed U-2 Dragon Ladies remain in service with the USAF and NASA, with that number set to fall further in the coming months.

As the U-2 Dragon Lady’s retirement nears, its roles are being taken over by various stealth drones, satellites, and other platforms.

Beale AFB is home to the legendary U-2 spy planes as well as the Global Hawk and possibly secretive US spy aircraft.

The legacy of the US military developing some of the world’s most iconic and successful surveillance aircraft looks set to continue into the future.

As the Air Force (and other services) introduces new aircraft, various types of aircraft are expected to retire before 2030.

Several odd aircraft have landed on US Navy carriers over the decades, each with unique stories behind them.

The shootdown of Francis Gary Powers’s U-2 spy was one of the most profound humiliations suffered by the US during the Cold War.

Although the US eventually won the Cold War, it suffered humiliating defeats in the process. Among them was China’s shootdown of 5 USAF U-2s.

The United States built many of the most advanced and secretive spy planes of the Cold War.