US Army Retires Two Iconic Spy Planes

In late July 2025, the U.S. Army marked the end of an era with Operation PACIFIC SUNSET, a ceremony honoring the retirement of two of its most distinguished aerial intelligence platforms: GUARDRAIL and Airborne Reconnaissance Low (ARL).

The event, held at Desidario Army Airfield, featured a final flight of the aircraft, exhibition displays, and a special tribute from Republic of Korea soldiers to the 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion. For nearly five decades, these aircraft provided the Army with unmatched intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

Since 1975, GUARDRAIL has stood watch over the Korean peninsula, monitoring the Demilitarized Zone through countless crises. By the 1990s, ARL emerged as a versatile multi-intelligence platform, initially tasked with countering drug smuggling before taking on broader ISR missions worldwide. Together, the two platforms logged more than 120,000 flight hours and 30,000 sorties, flown by over 800 Army pilots.

Their retirement doesn’t mark a gap in U.S. Army intelligence—but a transition. The ATHENA program now serves as the bridge to the future, integrating multiple intelligence disciplines into a single platform. Soon, ATHENA will hand off to HADES (High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System), a next-generation ISR aircraft built to meet the demands of modern, high-intensity conflict. Equipped with AI, machine learning, and sensor-to-shooter links, HADES promises deeper reach, faster decision-making, and enhanced precision across multiple domains.