The USAF was still flying the U2’s, TR’s, and SR’s and the main bases used were Beale and Osan after 1974. They had others that were still classified at that time like Diego Garcia and some bases in England. I left Beale in 1984 and both were still in use through the First SRS and the 9th SRW.
The cost is the reason for the SR retirement, on paper, and the U2 is even cheaper to fly than it’s proposed replacement the RQ-4. There are currently known to be about 30 U2’s in use.
The SR never really had a job as it was originally being built as a fighter bomber. But it was so fast, it ran over it’s own munitions after they were fired. To give the reader an idea how fast and high the SR flew, 90K+ and mach 4+, if they were going to drop a device on Moscow the SR would have to turn it loose over the Bering Sea and it would have to fly all the way across Russia to hit the target. That fine but right after takeoff and moderate altitude the SR needed refueling to continue its mission. KC’s were used at Beale. JP-7 ain’t cheap.
Some of the space suits for the SR and U2 aircraft were stored at the PTSD at Beale and borrowed for space shots by NASA.
wy69
Thanks for the feedback.
Beale was an amazing airbase only about and hour’s drive from Sacramento.
What was your unit? I was there from 81 - 87. I worked in the block house. A lot of TDYs.