The US Air Force, via the Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, has contracted BAE Systems to modernize the U-2 “Dragon Lady” aircraft’s electronic warfare (EW) suite.
Under the deal, BAE will supply continuous field service support for the U-2’s AN/ALQ-221 Advanced Defensive System (ADS), as well as system repairs and software updates to boost the aircraft’s situational awareness and self-protection capabilities.
The total cost of the deal has not been disclosed.
With long-range sensors, onboard processing, an integrated radar warning receiver, and an electronic countermeasures system, the system enables the surveillance and reconnaissance jet to operate in contested environments.
Sustaining and upgrading the ADS is part of the company’s long legacy in electronic warfare, noted Tim Angulas, BAE Systems’ U-2 product area director, with the work performed at BAE’s facility in Nashua, New Hampshire.
U-2 Dragon Lady
The U-2 traces its origins back to the 1950s, when the original aircraft model was developed in complete secrecy by engineer Kelly Johnson and Lockheed Skunk Works.
Lockheed later upgraded the spy plane’s avionics suite, communications systems, and cockpit displays, with the enhanced aircraft conducting its first flight in September 2023.
The 63-foot (19.2-meter)-long high-altitude, single-seat aircraft delivers critical imagery and signals intelligence in all-weather and day or night conditions.
Powered by a single General Electric F118-101 engine, it can operate at altitudes exceeding 70,000 feet (21,336 meters), with a range of more than 7,000 miles (11,265 kilometers), and speed of 410 miles (660 kilometers) per hour.
The Dragon Lady was involved in intelligence-gathering missions over the Soviet Union during the Cold War era, including taking photographs of the Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba during October 1962.
In addition, it provided intelligence during US military operations in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq, as well as peacetime reconnaissance during disaster relief and search and rescue operations.
