Editing Lockheed U-2 (section)

=====Cuban Missile Crisis=====
After receiving hasty training on the more powerful U-2F under the cognizance of the Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Provisional (WRSP-4) at Edwards AFB, Major [[Richard S. Heyser]] flew over western Cuba on 14 October 1962 in a U-2F; his aircraft was the first to photograph Soviet [[medium-range ballistic missile]]s (MRBM) in [[San Cristóbal, Cuba|San Cristóbal]] before returning to [[McCoy AFB]], Florida. Prior to the launch of all Cuban sorties, the two U-2F aircraft possessed by WSRP-4 and flown by 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing personnel had USAF insignia and tail numbers.<ref>History of the 4080th Strategic Wing (SAC) Special Operations 10–31 October 1962, pp. 1-5, declassified 24 Nov 1982/Restriction Removed by SAFEPAPER No. 61, Air Force Historical Research Agency archives, Maxwell AFB, AL</ref>

SAC received permission to fly as many Cuban overflights as necessary for the duration of the resulting [[Cuban Missile Crisis]]. On a 27 October sortie from McCoy AFB, one of the U-2Fs was shot down over Cuba by an [[SA-2 Guideline]] surface-to-air missile, killing the pilot, Major [[Rudolf Anderson]]; he posthumously received the first [[Air Force Cross (United States)|Air Force Cross]].{{sfn|Pedlow|Welzenbach|1992|pp=197–210}}<ref name="afmag-anderson">Correll, John T. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20101212234749/http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2005/August%202005/0805u2.aspx "Airpower and the Cuban Missile Crisis."]}} ''Air Force Magazine'', August 2005. Retrieved: 27 June 2009.</ref>

Soviet leader [[Nikita Khrushchev]] was dismayed, warning President [[John F. Kennedy]] in a private message that U-2 overflights could inadvertently cause [[WWIII]]: "Is it not a fact that an intruding American plane could be easily taken for a nuclear bomber, which might push us to a fateful step?"<ref>Monte Reel, ''A Brotherhood of Spies: The U2 and the CIA's Secret War'', (New York: Anchor Books, 2019), p. 286 {{ISBN?}}</ref>

Fulfilling CIA officials' fears of a USAF takeover, CIA pilots never again flew over Cuba; SAC retained control over Cuban overflights,{{sfn|Pedlow|Welzenbach|1992|pp=197–210}}<ref name="afmag-anderson"/> which continued until the 1970s under the code name ''OLYMPIC FIRE''.<ref name="NRO_NRP1972"/>

At the same time as the Cuban crisis, [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) [[English Electric Lightning]]s of the [[Air Fighting Development Unit|Air Fighting Development Squadron]] made several practice interceptions against U-2s; guided by ground controllers and using energy climb profiles, the Lightning could intercept the U-2 at up to 65,000&nbsp;ft.<ref>Black, I. "Chasing the Dragon Lady". ''Classic Aircraft'' Vol. 45, No. 8</ref>