London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 13, 2025

What was U-2 spy plane doing flying over England?

What was U-2 spy plane doing flying over England?

A U-2 spy plane has been spotted flying over a swathe of England on a sortie from an airbase in Gloucestershire.

The latest generation of the US Lockheed jet was seen by a military aviation enthusiast cruising into and out of RAF Fairford yesterday.

On the same day, an identical make of high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft was photographed flying over the West Midlands.

The jet spotted near Birmingham had the registration number 80-1083 but no flight number, according to a flight-tracking website.

The single-engine aircraft, of a design nicknamed ‘Dragon Lady’ after its original CIA codename, is owned by the United States Air Force (USAF) and is the latest ‘S’ model, the listing on Plane Finder states.

The spotter near RAF Fairford, which is owned by the Ministry of Defence, speculated that the journey time and altitude of the surveillance plane, which can fly to 80,000ft, fitted a mission to Syria.

The military history writer said: ‘A U-2 just cruised out of RAF Fairford this morning at 10:15, then returned at 16:20. Assuming it was the same plane and not a second one arriving, then that would take it out to about 2,000km and back at average cruising speed. That would likely be Syria.

‘Now what would the Biden administration be wanting with detailed battlefield reconnaissance of Syria at this moment in time?’

The US Air Force U-2 spy plane flying near Birmingham as photographed by an aviation enthusiast


Aviation enthusiasts spotted the same make of Lockheed Martin jet flying over the West Midlands on Tuesday.

James Harrison grabbed his Nikon P1000 to take a picture as the eavesdropping aircraft flew over Shirley near Solihull after tracking data showed it coming back from the direction of Sweden.

He previously took a picture of the same type of aircraft in December.

Lee Sharples then photographed the U-2 while it flew at 8,000ft over his house in Gloucestershire at 4.10pm yesterday as it headed for the airbase.

Lee managed a quick shot after being alerted by open source data and the distinctive ‘hump’ on the aircraft’s fuselage.

The U-2S spy plan as it comes in to land at RAF Fairford which is the UK base for the next-generation of the Cold War-era jets

RAF Fairford has the longest runway in the UK, which stretches 3,046m and can accommodate a range of military aircraft, also including the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.

The sprawling facility is the base for U2 aircraft on routine deployments to the UK, which includes operations in domestic and international airspace in concert with NATO allies.

The airbase has a long association with the USAF, and is currently expanding to accommodate more than 2,000 American personnel and their families over the next two years.

The U-2 dates back to the 1950s but has been upgraded for a new era of operations


They are relocating from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk along with the RC-135 mission, another reconnaissance aircraft which has supported the US, UK and their allies on operations in Kosovo and Libya.

US-backed forces are currently stepping up their campaign against the remnants of ISIS in the east of the country near the Iraq border, which has involved capturing dozens of the terror group’s members.

Aviation enthusiasts were able to monitor the U-2’s journey via plane-tracking websites before taking pictures as it passed overhead


U-2 maker Lockheed Martin said last year that it had secured a $50million (£36million) USAF contract to update the Cold War-era spy plane.

Avionics suites, mission computers and cockpit displays are due to undergo upgrades from the middle of this year until 2022..

At the time, Lockheed described the jet ‘as a proven, agile and reliable aircraft’ and ‘the most capable high-altitude ISR [intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance] system in the fleet today’.

The revamp is expected to keep the fleet in service fo another three decades.

America’s fleet of 31 operational U2 jets fly around the clock on every day of the year. The USAF has confirmed they are based at Fairford for ‘routine intelligence, surveillance and reconnaisance missions’ coordinated with the British Government. The American military has said it is not at liberty to divulge the details of specific missions.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
×