Friday 21 October 2022

Imperial War Museums - The U-2 and the Cuban Missile Crisis

 

Lockheed U-2
The U-2 reconnaissance aircraft played a pivotal role in two of the most famous events of the Cold War.
In the mid-1950s, the United States was desperate to know what was going on behind the Iron Curtain. No information had come out of the Soviet Union since the Second World War.

In 1957, the USSR launched Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite. This, along with other advances in Soviet technology, led to concerns that they were becoming technologically superior.

The gathering of photographic aerial intelligence was deemed essential. Under the code name 'Bald Eagle', the US Air Force (USAF) solicited designs for an aircraft capable of making dangerous flights over the USSR.

They turned to the engineer Clarence Kelly Johnson and his team, known as the SkunkWorks. Johnson developed the first U-2, a high-flying powered glider that operated on the edge of space.

Entering service in 1956, with a flight ceiling of 70,000 ft, the U-2 was initially believed to be out of reach of Soviet fighters, missiles, and radar.

The US was fully aware that the U-2 overflights into Soviet territory were a deliberate violation of international norms. Every flight was at risk of being perceived as an unauthorised invasion of another country’s airspace.

Despite this, the uncertainty of the time and the need for information was too great to not take the risk. In four years, the U-2 completed 30 missions, contributing to approximately 90% of US hard intelligence.

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Duxford in a Different Light:
American Air Power
Saturday 26 November, IWM Duxford

Join us for an after-hours photography event commemorating 80 years of the US 8th Air Force in Britain and 25 years since the opening of the American Air Museum.

Historic US aircraft both inside and outside the American Air Museum will be illuminated with professional lighting to create evocative opportunities for your photographs.
Book Tickets 
 
 
 
On 1 May 1960, a Soviet SA2 surface-to-air missile shot down an American spy plane over the USSR, piloted by Francis Gary Powers. Powers, managed to escape from his aircraft before it crashed, but was captured by the Soviets and taken prisoner.

The CIA, believing that Powers was dead, denied the aircraft had been used for espionage. Instead, they claimed that it had been performing a weather monitoring flight. Meanwhile, the Soviets not only had Powers alive, but also the wreckage of the aircraft itself, along with all the images it had captured.

The incident occurred at a critical juncture in US-Soviet relations, halting the progress made towards reaching a peace agreement. US President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Russian premier Nikita Khrushchev had been scheduled to meet days later at the Paris Summit.

Khrushchev condemned the US over the incident, demanding that Eisenhower apologise. He also demanded that the US recognise the existence of the spy programme and ban all future flights.

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War Games Live
Saturday 26 November, IWM London

Join us for a packed half-day festival exploring the phenomenon of war video games.

With after-hour access to the War Games exhibition and retro gaming zone, this unique event will feature live performances and talks with leading designers, podcasters, musicians, and gaming enthusiasts. 
Book Now
 
 
 
Eisenhower refused, and in anger Khrushchev walked out of the conference. Soviet withdrawal was a crushing blow to the possibility of reaching an arms control agreement or peace deal between the two powers.

In January 1961, John F. Kennedy replaced Eisenhower as President. Just three months after his inauguration, one of the most significant incidents of his presidency took place.

The US had grown increasingly concerned about the situation in Cuba after the nation had become communist under Fidel Castro in 1959.Cuban exiles living in Florida desperately wanted a change of government in Cuba.

A plan was devised by Eisenhower, and later signed off by Kennedy, to arm and train the Cuban refugees for an invasion. On 17 April 1961, the invading forces arrived at the Bay of Pigs on the south coast of Cuba. However, they were badly outnumbered, and the invasion ended in failure.

The Bay of Pigs sent a clear message to Castro and the Soviet Union that the US was prepared to back an overthrow of the communist regime in Cuba. Castro reached out to the Soviet Union for protection. In response, Khrushchev agreed to station nuclear missiles in Cuba.

On 14 October 1962, a U-2 brought back images that revealed what the US had feared. Medium-range and intermediate-range ballistic nuclear missiles were under construction in Cuba. If deployed, they had the capacity to reach San Francisco.

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Get ready to fill your diary with action-packed flying events throughout 2023...
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IWM members will be the first to book and receive 10% off Duxford Air Show tickets. Find out more about IWM member priority booking and other flying season benefits today.

Duxford Summer Air Show
Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 June 2023

Prepare for sky high entertainment as pure adrenaline filled action and spectacular displays return to IWM Duxford.

Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show
Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September 2023

Step back into Summer 1940 for a historic weekend: in the air, on the ground, and even in the clothes you wear! 

Join us as we celebrate 50 years of Duxford Air Shows. Learn more. 
Type MA-2 high altitude partial pressure USAF flying helmet
The implications of having Soviet missiles right on the doorstep of the US at a time of escalating tensions were huge. In response, Kennedy launched a naval blockade of Cuba. Photographic reconnaissance was vital at the time to monitor whether the missiles in Cuba were ready for use.

The next 13 days were some of the most dangerous the world had ever faced. On the 27 October, it was brought to the brink of war. Major Rudolf Anderson, piloting a U-2 on a reconnaissance flight over Cuba, was shot down by a Soviet missile.

Kennedy and his advisers began to prepare for an attack on Cuba within days unless a diplomatic resolution could be found. Back channels were established between the US and the Soviet Union in the hope of avoiding a nuclear war.

Through these back-channels, Khrushchev and Kennedy reached a deal. The missiles would be removed from Cuba if the US agreed it would not invade. The US would also agree to take its nuclear missiles out of Turkey.

The shooting down of Gary Powers and the Cuban Missile Crisis were two of the most significant events to occur during the Cold War era. In both, the U-2 played a crucial role. It is due to the continued importance of gathering photographic intelligence that the U-2 is still in service today.