A U-2S flies with the avionics tech refresh upgrade in the cockpit for the first time.
A final upgrade for the Lockheed Martin U-2S is moving forward after the U.S. Air Force and the company’s Skunk Works unit completed a first flight of an avionics technology refresh in the cockpit.
In addition to refreshing the displays, communication suite and navigation system in the U-2S cockpit, the program also installs a new mission computer that is compatible with the Air Force’s open mission systems (OMS) standard.
The OMS-compliant computer will allow the Air Force to install the latest version of the Raytheon Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System (ASARS)-2, according to budget justification documents.
Despite the latest upgrades, the Air Force currently plans to retire the U-2S fleet by the end of fiscal 2026.
But the new electronics will help pilots fly missions for the remainder of the fleet’s operational life.
“The successful first flight of the U-2 Avionics Tech Refresh [ATR] is a significant moment in our journey to rapidly and affordably field new capabilities,” said Sean Thatcher, the U-2 Avionics Tech Refresh program manager at the Skunk Works.
The ATR and ASARS upgrades are scheduled to complete flight testing in the first half of 2024, according to budget documents released in March. The first two ASARS-2C radars are then scheduled to be fielded in July 2024.
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