SR-71 Blackbird

This article is about the United States reconnaissance jet. For other uses of 'Blackbird', see Blackbird (disambiguation).

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was a Mach 3+ reconnaissance aircraft designed by Clarence L "Kelly" Johnson at Lockheed's "Skunk Works" plant in the late 1950's, the Blackbird served until 1989. In 1994, the program was reactivated under NASA, and the aircraft continued to fly until 1999.

An SR-71 takes off, the excess fuel used by the engine forming "shock diamonds."

An SR-71 on the runway.

Operational History

In 1967 and 1968, SR-71s flew over two dozen reconnaissance missions in support of Operation Rolling Thunder, mostly over North Vietnam, but some flights covered Cambodia and Laos as well.

In the early 1980s, SR-71s from Beale Air Force Base conducted missions over communist Nicaragua.

SR-71s overflew Grenada and gathered information in preparation for the 1983 invasion.

After the bombing of Libya in April 1986 (Operation El Dorado Canyon), two Blackbirds flew a mission to collect post-strike intelligence. It was the first time that two SR-71s flew a joint mission.