NATO commander calls for return to service of U-2 spy plane to conduct surveillance on resurgent Russia

REUTERS

General Philip Breedlove, the head of U.S. forces in Europe and NATO's supreme allied commander, said the iconic jet was among "additional intelligence collection platforms" needed to effectively counter an increased threat posed by Moscow, according to The Independent.

The officer said Russia poses a "long-term existential threat" to the United States.

With sensors that can spot a landmine from a height of 13 miles and scoop up vast amounts of communications data, the U-2 would prove a potent tool in monitoring any build-up or sudden movement of Russian forces on the border of the Baltic states or the Ukraine, according to the report.