The SR-71 spy plane
The iconic SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, often known as Habu because it looked like the native Habu snake in Okinawa, Japan, holds the official record for the fastest jet-powered, piloted aircraft ever.
The A-12 Oxcart, another Mach 3 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, served as the model for the SR-71.
Developed from the A-12, the YF-12 high-altitude Mach 3 interceptor is another Blackbird designed to protect against supersonic bombers. The military never used the YF-12 as an operational aircraft. In addition, the YF-12 served as a forerunner to the SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft.
The SR-71 Blackbird is the only reconnaissance aircraft in history to operate in more hostile airspace and with more impunity. It is the fastest air-breathing engine-powered aircraft. During the Cold War, the Blackbird was at the forefront of aviation technology advancements due to its performance and operational accomplishments.
One of the most common concerns regarding the Blackbird family is whether the family has ever been attacked by the enemy while on spy operations. How close did it ever come to being shot down?
The only Blackbird hit by a SAM
Jim Goodall, former Master Sergeant at U.S. Air Force and author of the book Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: The Illustrated History of America’s Legendary Mach 3 Spy Plane, explains:
‘To my knowledge, only one Blackbird, a CIA A-12 Blackbird was hit with shrapnel on Oct. 30, 1967, while on the CIA’s third pass over Hanoi in three days. The crews protested flying the same route three days in a row, but they were out-ranked.
‘Denny Sullivan [Dennis B. Sullivan retired as an Air Force Brigadier General and passed away in 2020. Sullivan was one of only 6 A-12 mission pilots, known as “Drivers”, his call-sign was Dutch 23] ran into some debris from part of the fusing components of a Soviet-built SA-2 as he was leaving the area [over Vietnam, during Operation Black Shield (as the A-12 deployment at Kadena Air Base was codenamed), where he survived multiple SAM missile attacks on his Oxcart while he was cruising at altitudes over 82,000 feet]. The damage was found on a post-flight inspection and the composite inboard leading edge had something wedged in it, and the CIA identified it as part of the fusing mechanism of the SA-2.’
He flew the SR-71 Sullivan on that mission, and the damaged section of the aircraft is now on display at the CIA museum in Langley, Virginia. Denny Sullivan later became an operations officer with the SR-71s.
Different SAM scenarios feared
Some intriguing information is added by Frank Huddleston, a former USAF ELINT analyst and SR-71 mission planner (1975–1978) in the 9SRW;
‘This is why we never assumed 100% invulnerability to SAMs, at least during my time. Known SAM sites and MiG-25 bases were always considered during mission planning and sensor targeting.
‘There is an opinion that the speed and altitude made the aircraft “bulletproof’ and missile threats were sloughed off with a “you can’t touch this” mindset. We feared different SAM scenarios like salvo launches while understanding the enemy missile defense systems had to be ready, coordinated, and authorized to launch.
‘My four years in [the SR-71 program], I drew in both SA-2 and SA-5 threat radars on or along the mission flight paths. And I pointed every camera on them as well as turned on the ELINT system. I surely can’t speak for the crews, but we surely took the threats to the aircraft deadly serious during planning.’
Check out Habubrats SR-71‘s Twitter profile, SR71Habubrats‘s Instagram profile and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Habubrats‘s Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.
Photo by Dru Blair via www.drublair.com, U.S. Air Force, CIA and Hoangprs5 Own work via Wikipedia