There's a Reason the USAF Keeps Flying the U-2 Dragon Lady

Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

You don't hear much about it, but the U.S. Air Force has been flying an aircraft that made its first flight in 1955. The U-2 Dragon Lady is one of the longest-serving aircraft in the U.S. inventory, and there's a reason the USAF continues using it in one military conflict after another - it's reliable, difficult to shoot down, and can perform a variety of tasks in and out of combat operations.

The U-2 arose after World War II when the U.S. sought to utilize aerial reconnaissance against the growing threat of the Soviet Union. This necessitated an aircraft capable of flying at incredibly high altitudes and the development of special equipment to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions in and out of enemy territory. The U-2 entered development in the early 1950s and continued production until 1989, leaving 31 operational aircraft in the inventory.

[...] An aircraft doesn't remain in operation for over seven decades without putting something on the table, and the U-2 didn't disappoint. While the USAF uses it to gather intelligence during combat operations, it can support strategic ISR missions during peacetime. USAF pilot Capt. Francis Gary Powers' U-2 was shot down over Sverdlovsk, Soviet Union, in 1960, escalating tensions between the U.S. and the USSR.

[...] The U-2 has a small radar signature and operates at a 70,000-foot altitude, which makes it challenging to shoot down. Still, the U.S. lost some while flying missions over enemy territory, but the USAF continued using U-2s long after more robust and technologically advanced options arose. These days, ISR missions employ various collection tools to build a complete picture of the battlespace, and the U-2 is still an integral part of that endeavor.

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