The CIA Flew U-2 Spy Planes From Aircraft Carriers

A left front view of a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft parked on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS AMERICA (CV 66). Wikipedia

Yes, The CIA Flew U-2 Spy Planes From Aircraft Carriers -- Steve Weintz, War Is Boring

Big-wing spy planes once operated from America’s flattops—but not easily.

On May 1, 1960, the Soviet Union shot down a CIA U-2 spy plane and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers. It was an international crisis for America’s intelligence agencies.

A planned summit between Pres. Dwight Eisenhower and Premier Nikita Khrushchev was scuttled, much to Eisenhower’s embarrassment and to the fury of the Pakistanis, from whose territory the flight had been launched.

First flown in 1957, the 63-foot-long, jet-powered U-2—capable of flying as high as 70,000 feet—is still used by the U.S. Air Force. But after the Powers incident, basing the plane in foreign countries became problematic. Their mere presence caused heartburn in diplomatic circles. Time-sensitive targets could be lost to prolonged negotiations over basing rights.

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My Comment:  This is a good review of the U-2 aircraft carrier program. Read it all. It makes you wonder if this program (or some version of it) is still running today.