U-2 Dragon Lady: Cost, Contracts & Timeline

Timeline3

Aug 1955First flightConfirmed
Original U-2A first flight
May 7, 1956UnveiledConfirmed
U-2 publicly announced under NACA cover story
NACA announced the named aircraft under a weather-research cover story. NASA history p. 167 and timeline p. 238 establish the date; this was not disclosure of its reconnaissance mission.
1967First flightConfirmed
U-2R variant first flight

Program and variant milestones. Dates show only the precision the sources give.

Variants2

TU-2S Dragon Lady trainerTwo-seat training variant of the U-2 aircraft family, used to train U-2 pilots before operational missions.
Fielded
U-2S Dragon LadySingle-seat, single-engine, high-altitude reconnaissance and surveillance variant of the U-2 aircraft family.
Fielded

Variants
System	Type	Maturity
TU-2S Dragon Lady trainerTwo-seat training variant of the U-2 aircraft family, used to train U-2 pilots before operational missions.	Aircraft	Fielded
U-2S Dragon LadySingle-seat, single-engine, high-altitude reconnaissance and surveillance variant of the U-2 aircraft family.	Aircraft	Fielded

Variants of this program. Their unit costs, quantities and operating costs are in the cost table below.

Cost to the Government

Compare platform costs →

Cost figures
Measure	Amount	Source
Program totals · 2
Historical airframe and sensor modernizationCumulative modernization reported at the source date; not lifetime acquisition or R&D alone.	$1.7BNominal $; source budget basis	U-2S/TU-2S fact sheet, September 2015 snapshot U.S. Air Force · figure Since 1994 · September 2015 fact sheet
R&D program totalA lifetime program R&D total was not established. Development contracts and shared program budgets are not substituted for that total.	Not established	—
Unit costs · 1
Comparable unit priceThe Air Force fact sheet identifies unit cost as classified. Modernization spending is not a substitute for an aircraft purchase price.	Not established	U-2S/TU-2S fact sheet, September 2015 snapshot U.S. Air Force
Quantities · 2
U.S. inventoryA current U.S. inventory was not established. Annual procurement, cumulative deliveries and production capacity are not a stockpile count.	Not established	—
U.S. procurement quantityNo comparable U.S. procurement quantity was established in this review.	Not established	—
Operating costs · 1
Reimbursement / flight hourOther DoD Component rate. Billing reference, not fully burdened operating cost or proof of operational status.	$23,162 / hrNominal $; Other DoD Component	FY2026 aircraft hourly reimbursement rates, Other DoD Component column DoD Comptroller · figure FY2026

Program totals · 2

Historical airframe and sensor modernizationCumulative modernization reported at the source date; not lifetime acquisition or R&D alone.
U-2S/TU-2S fact sheet, September 2015 snapshot U.S. Air Force · figure Since 1994 · September 2015 fact sheet
$1.7BNominal $; source budget basis
R&D program totalA lifetime program R&D total was not established. Development contracts and shared program budgets are not substituted for that total.
Source not recorded
Not established

Unit costs · 1

Comparable unit priceThe Air Force fact sheet identifies unit cost as classified. Modernization spending is not a substitute for an aircraft purchase price.
U-2S/TU-2S fact sheet, September 2015 snapshot U.S. Air Force
Not established

Quantities · 2

U.S. inventoryA current U.S. inventory was not established. Annual procurement, cumulative deliveries and production capacity are not a stockpile count.
Source not recorded
Not established
U.S. procurement quantityNo comparable U.S. procurement quantity was established in this review.
Source not recorded
Not established

Operating costs · 1

Reimbursement / flight hourOther DoD Component rate. Billing reference, not fully burdened operating cost or proof of operational status.
FY2026 aircraft hourly reimbursement rates, Other DoD Component column DoD Comptroller · figure FY2026
$23,162 / hrNominal $; Other DoD Component

Earlier observations · 2

Superseded estimates and prices, each in its original scope and dollar basis.

Earlier cost observations
Measure	Amount	Source
Program totals · 1
Avionics upgrade contractDevelopment/integration scope, not an aircraft unit price.	$50MNominal $; source budget basis	U-2 avionics technology refresh, April 2020 Lockheed Martin · figure April 2020
Operating costs · 1
Reimbursement / flight hourOther DoD Component rate. Billing reference, not fully burdened operating cost or proof of operational status.	$23,162 / hrNominal $; Other DoD Component	FY2026 aircraft hourly reimbursement rates, Other DoD Component column DoD Comptroller · figure FY2026

Program totals · 1

Avionics upgrade contractDevelopment/integration scope, not an aircraft unit price.
U-2 avionics technology refresh, April 2020 Lockheed Martin · figure April 2020
$50MNominal $; source budget basis

Operating costs · 1

Reimbursement / flight hourOther DoD Component rate. Billing reference, not fully burdened operating cost or proof of operational status.
FY2026 aircraft hourly reimbursement rates, Other DoD Component column DoD Comptroller · figure FY2026
$23,162 / hrNominal $; Other DoD Component

Do not turn a mixed inventory into a current military fleet count

The 2015 fact sheet combines trainers and NASA ER-2 aircraft in its count. This page leaves current U.S. military inventory unverified rather than carrying that mixed historical figure forward.

U-2S/TU-2S fact sheet, September 2015 snapshot U.S. Air Force

Modernization is not development alone

The published $1.7B covers airframe and sensor improvements over time. The source does not split research, procurement and installation into comparable lifetime totals.

U-2S/TU-2S fact sheet, September 2015 snapshot U.S. Air Force

Contracts & purchasing · 1

Ceilings, options and purchase agreements are not spending and are never added together. Obligations are under Contracts.

Contracts and purchasing
Buyer → seller	Status	Value	Qty	Source
U.S. Air Force → Lockheed MartinUpdates avionics and mission computing; not new aircraft procurement or lifetime R&D.	Avionics technology refresh award announced	$50M	—	U-2 avionics technology refresh, April 2020 Lockheed Martin · figure Apr 9, 2020

International buyers · 1

International buyers
Country	Variant	Qty	Status	Source
United StatesPurchases and program plans are not a current operational inventory.	—	Not verified	U.S. program customer	U-2S/TU-2S fact sheet, September 2015 snapshot U.S. Air Force · figure Dated source snapshot

Open research: Buyer records are selected examples, not a complete global order book. Current U.S. operational inventory was not established; dated purchases, deliveries and plans remain separate. A comparable complete-system unit purchase price was not established. A system-specific lifetime R&D total was not established.

What the government budgets and pays for this program, from budget justification books, appropriations, acquisition reports and contract announcements. Each figure states its dollar basis. What contractors were obligated is under Contracts.

Contracts$6.0M obligated since FY2008

Explore in Awards →

Contractors1

Leidos$6.0M 100%

Awards2

Sort

Government awards. Select a sortable column heading to sort.
								Conf.
Leidos	200310!001051!5700!GJ70 !WARNER ROBINS ALC/LVK !F0960301D0208 !A!N! !Y!0027 !20030731!20040801!054781240!054781240!054781240!N!SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATI!10260 CAMPUS POINT DRIVE !SAN DIEGO !CA!92121!66000!073!06!SAN DIEGO !SAN DIEGO !CALIFORNIA!+000000537387!N!N!000000000000!R425!ENGINEERING TECHNICAL SERVICES !A1A!AIRFRAMES AND SPARES !3AUJ!U-2 !541330!E! !5!B!M! !A!C!20080930!B!F!N!A! !A!N!J!2!010!B! !Z!N!Z! ! !N!C!N! ! ! !D!D!A!A!000!A!D!N! ! ! ! ! ! !0001! !	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Jul 1, 2008	$925K	—	U-2 Dragon Lady	Reported
Leidos	200310!000461!5700!GJ05 !WR-ALC/LRK !F0960301D0208 !A!N! !Y!0026 !20030714!20040630!054781240!054781240!054781240!N!SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATI!10260 CAMPUS POINT DRIVE !SAN DIEGO !CA!92121!80508!153!13!WARNER ROBINS !HOUSTON !GEORGIA !+000001598991!N!N!000000000000!R425!ENGINEERING TECHNICAL SERVICES !S1 !SERVICES !3AUJ!U-2 !336411!E! !5!B!M! !C! !99990909!B!F!Y!A! !A!N!J!2!010!B! !Z!Y!Z! ! !N!C!N! ! ! !C!D!A!A!000!A!C!N! ! ! !Y! ! !0001! !	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Nov 20, 2007	$5.1M	—	U-2 Dragon Lady	Reported

Obligations are signed USAspending prime-contract actions coded to this program, FY2008 to date, credited to the company that received each action. Obligations are money committed, not company revenue.