Drone Damages Hangar for U-2 Aircraft at British Air Base in Cyprus

A drone that attacked the British airbase in Akrotiri, Cyprus, on Sunday damaged a hangar for American U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance aircraft.

This is evidenced by a photo published by the tabloid The Sun.

The photo shows a large hole, reportedly at least 9 meters long and 6 meters wide, in the west side wall of the building.

At the same time, British Defense Minister John Gilli reported that the damage from the strike was “minimal.”

After reviewing the photo, the ministry confirmed the damage to the building but said that “the equipment inside the hangar was not damaged.”

It is currently unknown whether the American U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance aircraft was inside the hangar at the time of the drone strike. The US Department of Defense declined to comment on the matter.

The drone attack on the Royal Air Force Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus occurred shortly after a heightened threat alert was declared at the facility. Immediately after that, it was reported that the airfield had suffered minor damage as a result of the explosion, but no personnel at the base were injured.

Sources in the defense ministry told the media that the drone was flying low over the sea to make it difficult for radar to detect.

On Thursday, Cyprus reported that the Iranian Shahed-type drone that struck the British airbase was launched from Lebanon, according to the Associated Press.

U-2 reconnaissance aircraft

The Dragon Lady carries three compartments for reconnaissance equipment: two in the wings and one in the nose. They house a multispectral camera, a radar surveillance system, and electronic reconnaissance equipment.

Flying at altitudes of up to 21,000 meters, it can reconnoiter objects and target areas using a multi-channel optical station and radars without entering the range of enemy air defense systems.