https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...etary-decision
U-2 Retirement Moves Forward With Defense Secretary Decision
The U.S. Air Force's proposed plans to retire all of its
iconic U-2 Dragon Lady spy planes
by 2026 have taken a major step forward with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's signing of a critical waiver to make the controversial move a reality.
This mechanism allows the Secretary of Defense to jettison congressional requirements that would ensure the capabilities lost by the end of the U-2 program would be replaced in a cost-effective manner.
The Pentagon wants supplant the U-2s with a mix of space-based systems and other assets, widely believed
to include one or more advanced, high-flying, classified drones, but it isn't clear when those capabilities will be fully available in sufficient quantities.
A Department of Defense official confirmed today to
The War Zone that Secretary Austin had signed the waiver. When exactly the waiver was signed is unknown, but independent aviation journalist and U-2 expert Chris Pocock
wrote in an October 12 blog post that the Air Force had told him it was "still in staffing."…..