The U-2 spy plane: White knuckles from the start

(First published on February 2, 2022)

First in a four-part series

TOKYO — Early 1960s work at the Elint – electronic intelligence – Center, on Fuchu Air Base near Tokyo, quickly became monotonous and tiring, as I personally found as a U.S. Air Force analyst. For U-2 missions you had to sit there for 12 hours at a stretch, three times a week, and watch the same signals appear and disappear.

But there was an underlying tension because of the high-priority nature of the work; and the all too frequent reminders of just how dangerous it was for the pilots who flew the missions.