On American U-2 Aircraft High-Altitude Reconnaissance And The Influence To The U.S.-Soviet Relations

After the end of World War II, the United States military, economic strength was unprecedentedly powerful, and old capitalist countries had declined. Germany and Japan were defeated in the Second World War, Britain and France had severely weakened, the position of the world capitalist hegemony belonged to the United States. The Soviet Union became a military and political power after the United States. As the United States and the Soviet Union both in ideology and social system and other aspects of the confrontation, the conflict between them was inevitable. Eventually led to the Cold War. During the Cold War, in order to obtain intelligence of the Soviet Union and other countries, the United States developed and implemented the U-2 aircraft program.This paper describes the background, process of the U-2 aircraft program, the U-2 operations in the Soviet Union, China, Cuba and other countries, and the influence to U.S.-Soviet relations. The article is divided into three main parts.Part I, the backgrounds of the United States implemented high -altitude reconnaissance.World War II itself and the impact changed the political balance of powers and led to change the global power structure. And the disappearance of the common enemies, the basis of the old alliance between the United States and the Soviet Union no longer existed. Allies internal contradictions stand out, the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union became the escalating confrontation and eventually led to the Cold War. With the continuation of the Cold War, both sides need to access each other's hostile political and military intelligence. This was becoming ncreasingly important for the development of their own foreign policies. After World War II, the United States depend on German prisoners ,the large number of refugees and persons who fled from the Soviet Union to obtain information on the activities of the Soviet military research. But these people can only provide general information and the effectiveness of these messages would not continue for a very long time. Soviet border area defense capability improved so to getting information by the artificial methods were extremely restricted. Faced with this situation, President Eisenhower decided to implement a plan to the Soviet intelligence and reconnaissance. To obtain intelligence on the Soviet missile production, the need for a reconnaissance plane that can fly high enough and evade Soviet radar tracking aircraft and the MiG attacking. Lockheed began designing this aircraft. To February 1955, beginning 88 days after the U-2 project, costing 1900 millions dollars test flight was preparations. To avoid the outside world aware of this aircraft was used for reconnaissance, it was a practical plane. its official name "U-2."To maximize the secrecy of reconnaissance plan, the National Aeronautics Advisory Committee issued a statement, announced that it has a aircraft called "U-2", the Advisory Committee on the implementation of the mandate. The scope of activities of the Advisory Committee was Completely in mainland. For military and civilian aircraft manufacturers provided information relating to air turbulence and other weather information. The U-2 aircraft's preparation of reconnaissance missions was all ready.Part II, the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance.Sending planes to conduct aerial reconnaissance of the Soviet Union, President Eisenhower had a lot of worries, on one hand, reconnaissance can get most valuable information about Soviet Union's military capabilities, on the other hand, It had the danger of triggering a war. Prompted President Eisenhower finally approved U-2 aircraft over the Soviet Union , mainly due to the Soviet Union rejected the "Open Skies" at the Geneva conference; It was also a concern for the United States to the Soviet Union -- the fear and controversy of the "bomber gap". So on July 4, 1956, Eisenhower approved the first U-2 plane over the Soviet Union. U-2 plane began aerial reconnaissance in the Soviet Union. During 4--10 July 1956, the first batch of U-2 aircrafts over the Soviet Union for five flights. This is the first stage of the U-2 aircraft over the Soviet Union.Although the U-2 obtain a great deal of valuable information,it was not able to evade Soviet radar, the first flight was tracked by the Soviet Union radar. On July 10, 1956, the Soviet Union presented a formal note to the United States. Protesting the U.S. aircraft flying cross-border aggression acts. The strong protest from the Soviet Union made President Eisenhower very worried about U-2 aircraft. Therefore he requested the suspension of U-2 over the Soviet Union. Poland and Hungary events in 1956 changed Eisenhower's mind. Eisenhower re-approved the U-2 operations in the Soviet Union. To 1960, the U-2 aircrafts had conducted reconnaissance flights over three and a half years in the Soviet Union. During this period,the U-2 plane took a lot of information about the Soviet military bases to the CIA. According to estimating of the Soviet military technology development, the U-2 plane over the Soviet security only two or three years. To 1960, the Soviet Union had deployed the new SA-2 missile in its borders. Although the United States transformated the U-2 aircraft, it was danger that the U-2 plane over the Soviet Union. Since then the United States had triggered a "missile gap" controversy, Eisenhower had to repeatedly ordered adventure spy flights. Early in 1960, to end the long-standing "missile gap" argument and to get the accurate intelligence of the Soviet Union, Eisenhower decided to conduct an effective flight over Soviet. On may 1. pilot Francis powers drived a aircraft to implemented this mission from a Pakistan Air Force bases. However, the plane did not complete the task. The aircraft was hit by a Soviet missile and crashed over 20 miles southeast of Svildelovske, francis powers captured after the pilot ejected, that was the U-2 plane affair. U-2 plane affair made the United States stop U-2 operation in the Soviet Union.Afer U-2 plane affair, its main reconnaissance regions were Latin America and the Far East. In the Bay of Pigs incident and the Cuban missile crisis, the U-2 aircraft played an important role. In China, the United States and Taiwan using U-2 plane got information. During the Vietnam War, the U-2 aircraft also played a role. According to statistics, 80% of the information obtained from the U-2 aircraft. From the beginning of the 1960s, the U-2 aircraft entered a stage of adjustment. On one hand, the United States invented a camera can shoot ramps. This had been equipped with the camera was no need to fly U-2 aircraft over a photo of vertical targets. On the other hand, the development of spy satellite technology weaken the role of U-2 plane. U-2 plane began to implement civilian tasks. On August 1, 1974, the use of U-2 aircraft transferred to the Air Force.Part III, the influence of American U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance to the U.S.-Soviet relations.First, the U-2 operations in the Soviet Union before May 1960 eased American's fear of the Soviet Union. U-2 planes confirmed the information that the United States and the Soviet Union did not exist bombers gap. Information provided by U-2 aircraft, the United States believed that the Soviet Union did not plan to launch a surprise attack and no mass produc tion missiles. Second, the U-2 reconnaissance enabled the Soviet Union to strengthen the defense of the United States. Because of intelligence information provided by U-2, the United States can draw up a more detailed feasibility plan against the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union did not know the United States mastered how much information about itself, the Soviet Union can only rely on the military to vigorously develop more advanced weapons. This increased the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union.U-2 incident not only had an impact on U.S.-Soviet relations, the international situation also had an impact. First, the U-2 incident made the "spirit of Camp David" nonexistent which signed the relaxation of the United States and the Soviet Union .U-2 incident smashed people's hope of relaxation and of also denied Khrushchev's optimistic estimates of U.S.-Soviet relations. Second, the U-2 incident made the Paris summit abortion. After U-2 incident, although Khrushchev led a delegation to attend the Paris summit . He adopted a tough attitude on the U-2 incident, and demanded that the United States publicly apologize. It would be impossible for the United States to apologize for the much-needed action. As the United States and the Soviet Union both tough attitude, and made no compromise, the Paris summit ended in abortion. For the U-2 incident , the west and the east lost the opportunity that can be a peaceful solution to the problem. The international situation was back to the beginning.By U-2 operations in Cuba, the United States had mastered the evidence that Soviet delivered missiles to Cuba .This gave rise to the most serious between the United States and the Soviet Union during he Cold War the first direct confrontation -- the Cuban missile crisis. Cuban missile crisis created a great impact on U.S.-Soviet relations. Firstly, the U-2 operations in Cuba made the turning points during the Cold War. Crisis made the two countries fully awared the danger of direct confrontation in nuclear age. They were careful to avoid direct confrontation, in particular, to avoid using nuclear confrontation and adopt a more relaxed approach to the contest. Secondly, the U.S.-Soviet relations had shown a relaxation trend. Both sides recognized the need to ease the relations. The two countries in August 1963 signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Since then U.S.-Soviet relations would be eased. Thirdly, the strategic arms race began between the United States and the Soviet Union. After the crisis, the Soviet Union decided to increase the defense budget and the nuclear weapons budget in order to change the disadvantages of the Soviet Union in the missile crisis of. The United States also aimed to preserve its strategic advantages, it had to invest a lot of money to expand its armaments. Finally, acceleration the internal division and disintegration of the two camps. Before the Cuban missile crisis Sino-Soviet relations had begun to deteriorate. China opposed Khrushchev compromise to the United States. Khrushchev annoyed and accused China try to create a conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. Since then China and the Soviet Union had been debating to further deepen. Sino-Soviet differences accelerated the collapse of the socialist camp. After the crisis, the United States did not take action consultations with the European allies, which enabled the allies very dissatisfied. The allies were aware of their marginalized and powerless status. The missile crisis and the role of other factors made the European allies be more clearly aware of their relations with the United States. Speed up the process of independence.