The Importance Of U-2 Spy Plane's Future Flights
In the summer of 1959, Vice President Nixon visited Sverdlovsk, Russia. During his travels, CIA agents were busy photographing Russian threats by aircraft on the way to and from Vice President Nixon’s visit. These photographs identified SAM (Surface to Air Missile) sites and other missile sites that posed a threat to incoming aircraft. These photographs were paramount in the planning of the Lockheed U-2C spy plane’s future flights.
Much planning took place to make these U-2 spy plane flights happen. In 1957, President Dwight Eisenhower was granted permission to use Pakistan Air Force’s section of Peshawar Airport. The U-2 spy planes were to conduct operations from this airport. President Eisenhower was worried that if a U-2 spy plane
were to be shot down, it would be considered an act of aggression which would further deteriorate relations with the Soviet Union. To ease President Eisenhower’s mind and be able to deny any affiliation with the U-2 spy plane flights, the British Royal Air Force was used to conduct the first two U-2 flights into Soviet Airspace. After two successful flights by the Royal Air Force, Eisenhower granted permission for two more flights to occur by American CIA pilots.
On April 9, 1960, the first American operated U-2 flight pushed into Russian Airspace. The extreme operating altitude capable of the U-2 spy plane pushed it outside the believed limits of Russian Aircraft and Russian missiles. The April 9th flight was detected by the Russians, but all attempts to intercept the aircraft were failures. The aircraft diverted to Iran’s airstrip in Zahedan where it landed safely. As a precaution, pilots were given a modified silver dollar that contained a lethal shellfish derived saxitoxin tipped needle.
On May 1, 1960, after being delayed several times due to bad weather, the second CIA operated flight in the U-2 spy plane took place. It flew into Russian Territory and photographed many ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile) sites and pushed onward to Chelyabinsk-65, Russia’s plutonium production facilities. The photographs of the plutonium production facilities were the last the U-2 spy plane would take before being shot down by surface to air missiles. The pilot, Francis Gary Powers, was able to safely eject from the U-2 aircraft and parachuted to Russian Soil. He did not use his modified silver dollar.
American politicians first believed that the aircraft was completely destroyed and the pilot was killed. They quickly scrambled to cover-up the operation by repainting a U-2 spy plane in NASA colors and releasing the images to the world with a story about how the pilot passed out with the aircraft on auto pilot. When the Russians recovered the U-2 aircraft and the pilot alive, the United States was extremely embarrassed. The events unfolded days before the Four Power Paris Summit. Every cover up attempt by Eisenhower was refuted with proof of the contrary provided by the Russian Government. The embarrassment felt by the entire Eisenhower administration at this time was extreme.
Today, a large part of the aircraft and Power’s survival pack are on display in Russia’s Central Armed Forces Museum in Moscow, Russia.
Much planning took place to make these U-2 spy plane flights happen. In 1957, President Dwight Eisenhower was granted permission to use Pakistan Air Force’s section of Peshawar Airport. The U-2 spy planes were to conduct operations from this airport. President Eisenhower was worried that if a U-2 spy plane
were to be shot down, it would be considered an act of aggression which would further deteriorate relations with the Soviet Union. To ease President Eisenhower’s mind and be able to deny any affiliation with the U-2 spy plane flights, the British Royal Air Force was used to conduct the first two U-2 flights into Soviet Airspace. After two successful flights by the Royal Air Force, Eisenhower granted permission for two more flights to occur by American CIA pilots.
On April 9, 1960, the first American operated U-2 flight pushed into Russian Airspace. The extreme operating altitude capable of the U-2 spy plane pushed it outside the believed limits of Russian Aircraft and Russian missiles. The April 9th flight was detected by the Russians, but all attempts to intercept the aircraft were failures. The aircraft diverted to Iran’s airstrip in Zahedan where it landed safely. As a precaution, pilots were given a modified silver dollar that contained a lethal shellfish derived saxitoxin tipped needle.
On May 1, 1960, after being delayed several times due to bad weather, the second CIA operated flight in the U-2 spy plane took place. It flew into Russian Territory and photographed many ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile) sites and pushed onward to Chelyabinsk-65, Russia’s plutonium production facilities. The photographs of the plutonium production facilities were the last the U-2 spy plane would take before being shot down by surface to air missiles. The pilot, Francis Gary Powers, was able to safely eject from the U-2 aircraft and parachuted to Russian Soil. He did not use his modified silver dollar.
American politicians first believed that the aircraft was completely destroyed and the pilot was killed. They quickly scrambled to cover-up the operation by repainting a U-2 spy plane in NASA colors and releasing the images to the world with a story about how the pilot passed out with the aircraft on auto pilot. When the Russians recovered the U-2 aircraft and the pilot alive, the United States was extremely embarrassed. The events unfolded days before the Four Power Paris Summit. Every cover up attempt by Eisenhower was refuted with proof of the contrary provided by the Russian Government. The embarrassment felt by the entire Eisenhower administration at this time was extreme.
Today, a large part of the aircraft and Power’s survival pack are on display in Russia’s Central Armed Forces Museum in Moscow, Russia.