The US Air Force is spending $50 million to keep the U-2 spy plane high above the battlefield for decades to come

U-2 Dragon Lady California Sierra Nevada US Air Force/Staff Sgt. Robert M. Trujillo

Since entering service 60 years ago, the U-2 has snooped all over the world, and over the decades the plane has changed a great deal.
Work that Lockheed Martin is doing on the spy plane now is meant to keep it flying for decades to come, providing real-time information to other troops and advancing other new technology by serving as a test platform.
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The Air Force’s U-2 has been keeping an eye on the planet’s hot spots for 60 years, and with a $50 million contract the service awarded in April, the U-2 will not only be able to peer at adversaries but also better support friendly forces for decades to come.

Lockheed Martin, which developed the aircraft in the 1950s, announced the contract for design, integration, and testing of new advanced components on April 9. Interim fielding is planned for mid-2021, followed by fleet modification in early 2022, according to a release.See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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