U-2S (Recce)

The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed the "Dragon Lady", is an American single-engine, high–altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) since the 1950s. Designed for all-weather, day-and-night intelligence gathering at altitudes above 70,000 feet (21,300 meters), the U-2 has played a pivotal role in aerial surveillance for decades. Lockheed Corporation originally proposed the aircraft in 1953. It was approved in 1954, and its first test flight was in 1955.

Developed by Lockheed Martin in 1995, this aircraft has been a long-standing asset for the United States in intelligence gathering.