Dual data link modernizes U-2 Dragon Lady

Posted on: Dec. 16th, 2006 || Source: acc.af.mil | E-mail Article | Print Article

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- The U-2 Dragon Lady is now operating with an upgrade that simultaneously provides real-time intelligence to combatants in the field and ground stations in the United States.

The Dual Data Link 2 enables the Dragon Lady to transmit collected intelligence to ground-sites where the Army, Navy or Marines can immediately have access to the Air Force's intelligence images, said Maj. Brian Dickinson, Air Combat Command U-2 Requirements and Logistics chief.

"The DDL2 system is truly a network-centric joint service system," said Maj. Thomas Bailey, DDL2 program manager from the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. "[It] continues to provide near real time data, but this one-of-a-kind capability now enables the Joint services, both in CONUS and the AOR, to receive intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data simultaneously." He further explained that each of the services has a unique system to which the DDL2 is capable of communicating.

The versatility of the DDL2 results in a 100-percent increase in raw intelligence data distribution. Furthermore, it allows each "warfighter" to pick and choose from the hundreds of images the U-2 provides. According to Major Bailey, this drastically reduces the warfighter's kill chain.

"This means ground commanders in Theater can prioritize their own processing, exploitation, and dissemination of U-2 intelligence, while the [distributed common ground systems] architecture (in the United States) can continue, uninterrupted with their intelligence processes," added Major Dickinson. "This inherently makes the U-2 collection capabilities the most versatile tactical high-altitude multi-sensor intelligence platform."

"DDL2's capabilities are important high-altitude ISR operational steps toward enabling the airpower tenet of decentralized execution. Now lower-level commanders and war fighters can move to achieve effective span of control, enhance their situational responsiveness and increase their tactical flexibility by being connected directly to the U-2 intelligence architecture," concluded Maj Dickinson.

The DDL2 represents an approximate $50 million investment for the Air Force, including research. The project began six years ago. Although only four DDL systems currently exist, Major Bailey said 28 of the Air Force's 33 U-2s are programmed to accept and use the new systems as they are produced.

The U-2 delivers high-fidelity ground images from altitudes higher than 70,000 feet. It's capable of retrieving images in all-weather conditions day or night.

The first U-2A flew in August 1955. It was U-2 photographs of the Soviet missiles in Cuba that marked the beginning of the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of 1962. A modernized U-2 also provides peace-time reconnaissance during natural disasters in addition to its operational support of GWOT and other Theater Commanders.

Major Dickinson said the Dragon Lady gathers images in a variety of ways, including digital imagery, radar imagery and the traditional "wet film" method.
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