The U.S. Air Force continues to use the iconic U-2 Dragon Lady strategic jets to test new technologies, but the spies will be retired in 2026

The US Air Force is preparing to decommission the iconic U-2 Dragon Lady. However, while the planes remain in service, the service continues to use them.

Here's What We Know

The U-2 Dragon Lady are not standing idle. The U.S. Air Force uses them to test new technologies that can be applied to future and existing aircraft. The U-2 fleet is scheduled to be decommissioned in fiscal year 2026.

The first Dragon Lady first took to the skies nearly 80 years ago. However, the U.S. Air Force fleet now consists of aircraft from the 1980s. The service received its last one in 1989. The average age of the aircraft is almost 40 years.

The U-2 Dragon Lady is a unique aerial platform in the arsenal of the US Air Force. It is the only aircraft in service that can conduct reconnaissance, surveillance and reconnaissance, climbing to an altitude of more than 21 kilometres.

The US Air Force has requested funding to maintain its fleet of strategic aircraft. From FY2024, the service wants $16.8m for research and development, $54.7m for procurement and $17m for maintenance.

Through 2026, the U.S. Air Force intends to use the U-2 in "unique and innovative ways." The aircraft allows it to increase the technical maturity of components that will then be used in the F-22, F-35 and sixth-generation fighters.

Source: Air & Space Forces Magazine