Spy Stuff: The Valuable U-2 Spy Plane

When the Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb, the U.S. was taken completely off guard. It suddenly became very clear that the U.S. needed the ability to gather information on what the Soviets were doing across their massive nation. As noted in a fascinating article in The National Interest, part of the answer came in the form of a new airplane:

“By the mid-1950s, though, an incredible new aircraft was about to change the odds of successful overflights and break through the Iron Curtain around the USSR. Built by the famous Lockheed ‘Skunk Works’ in Burbank, Calif., and designed by the legendary Kelly Johnson, the U-2 revolutionized the art of reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering. Flying over 14 miles high and able to photograph objects just a few inches across, the U-2 was the ideal tool to help open up the secrets of the Soviet heartland.”

Read “Forget the B-2 Bomber or F-15 Eagle: The U-2 Was the Best Plane of the Cold War.”