In 1983, the USAF's 9th Reconnaissance Wing arrived at RAF Alconbury with its TR-1As (Tactical Reconnaissance), formerly known as U-2s.
By October 1993, they had been redesignated as U-2Rs
In 1995, the USAF relocated the Dragon Lady South to RAF Fairford. With the onset of the Bosnian War, they moved it even further South in 1996 to the Istres airbase in southern France, allowing for more time over the target.
Here are some of the images captured during that Alconbury era.
80-1065 TR-1B training aircraft arriving at RAF Alconbury was undoubtedly the highlight of my trip.
This airframe was the second of two airframes delivered to the Air Force in 1983. Their serial numbers are 80-1064 and 80-1065, as seen here in May '83.
How long was it deployed to RAF Alconbury?
80-1092 TR-1A preparing to depart RAF Alconbury.
Great memories of past times.
Happy days!
The Fiscal 68 aircraft were designated U-2R from the outset. When the U-2 was put back into production in the late 1970s, some were still designated U-2R, or U-2RT for the two-cockpit trainers, or TR-1A for the aircraft equipped with the ASARS imaging radar and destined for Europe. The TR-1 designation was dropped at the end of the 1980s, so those aircraft also became U-2Rs. When the fleet was re-engined in the mid-1990s, they were all redesignated U-2S.
ReplyDeleteA separate wing and squadron was established at Alconbury: 17th RW/95th RS.
Chris Pocock, author, 50 YEARS OF THE U-2, www.dragonladyhistory.com
Great photos, greatly appreciated. I only wish there were more
ReplyDeleteThankyou for your kind comments. Mike
ReplyDeleteI was stationed at RAF Alconbury in 1989, with the 509th & 511th TFS (A-10s). But we also assisted the 17th RW with ground support and maintenance. The comment below (Chris Pocock) is partly correct. The designation TR-1A continued on into the early 1990s. It was not dropped, and was not changed until after I returned from Desert Storm in 1991. We did not refer to it as a U-2 variant (R or S) in any of our briefings or reports. So the OPs original data of it being redesignated U-2R in 1993, and later U-2S in 1995 is correct.
ReplyDeleteedit: The comment above, not below
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