According to the United States Government, The Lockheed U-2 is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency. It provides day and night, very high-altitude (70,000 feet), all-weather surveillance. The aircraft is also used for electronic sensor research and development, satellite calibration, and satellite data validation.

On top of all of that, the U2 is a deathtrap. Due to the secrecy of the missions that the U2 typically entertains, accurate fatality numbers are impossible for a lowly “car journalist” to come by, but the Dragon Lady has a reputation. It was designed to fly at very high altitudes and it does that just dandy, but once out of it’s element, the U2 becomes a bit of a liability.

Maybe the hardest task for any U2 pilot is landing the damn thing. During the early stages of development, Lockheed figured this out pretty quickly. Their answer was to find the fastest car they could get their hands on and “pace” the U2 as it landed. The driver of the chase car was typically a U2 pilot with the day off. He would bark commands and aid the flying pilot down.

Of course, the U2 is still in use by the United States Air Force. And, as a result, the government still needs high performance vehicles to chase the damned thing. Their “weapon” of choice? I was curious too… I talked to Captain Mike Mitchell stationed at Altus Air Force Based and he was quick to reply.

“Mostly American and all modified in some way… We use the Ford Mustang SSP, Chevrolet CamaroB4C, Chevrolet Corvette, Pontiac GTO, and the Pontiac G8. The main requirement here is acceleration, so we try to stick with vehicles that feature a nice torque curve.”

Gentlemen, here’s an example of your tax dollars at work. And you know what? It’s beautiful.