Lockheed U-2
A rarity of the Cold War, the Lockheed U-2 high—altitude reconnaissance aircraft (made its first flight in 1955, adopted in 1956) will gain a second life - but with upgraded avionics and displays in the cockpit.
The U-2 was created for reconnaissance flights over the territory of the USSR at altitudes over 20 thousand meters, where it was unavailable for air defense for some time. Unpunished spy flights continued until May 1, 1960, when such an aircraft was shot down by an anti-aircraft guided missile of the Soviet S-75 SAM.
Lockheed U-2
Unlike dozens of obsolete USAF aircraft, the U-2 has not yet been decommissioned (according to some reports, up to 25 U-2S are in service), thanks to a number of unique characteristics — although it has problems, in particular, with low-altitude control. The leadership of the military department decided to extend the service of the legendary aerial reconnaissance, approving a program of technical renewal of avionics (ATR) worth $ 50 million. In accordance with it, a new avionics with an on-board computer will be installed on the U-2, which will allow it to be adapted to the Air Force Open Mission Systems (OMS) standard and will ensure interaction with air, space, sea and ground systems. The pilot's cabin will also be transformed, where digital displays will appear. The updated U-2 has already made its first test flight at low altitude. During the subsequent tests, the basic software and new control systems will be finalized.
Alexander Ageev