National Security Journal on MSN

SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3 ‘Fighter-Bomber’: Could This Have Been Built?

The SR-71 Blackbird’s Mach 3 speed, altitude, and modest radar-reduction tempted some to imagine a fighter-bomber variant—outrunning interceptors, dodging SAMs, and trucking cruise missiles. In ...
National Security Journal on MSN

The Mach 3 Lockheed A-12 Has A Message for the U.S. Military

Key Points and Summary – After the U-2 shootdown in 1960, the CIA needed a reconnaissance aircraft that could outrun missiles and hide from radar. Lockheed’s A-12 Oxcart answered: a single-seat, ...