The Blackbird
Developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft, the SR-71, referred to unofficially as the “Blackbird,” is a long-range, advanced, strategic reconnaissance aircraft. Dec. 22, 1964, saw the first SR-71 flight, and in January 1966, the 4200th (later 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, received the aircraft. The SR-71s were retired by the US Air Force on January 26, 1990.
For almost 24 years, the SR-71 held the record for being the world’s fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft. From 80,000 feet, it could cover 100,000 square miles of the Earth’s surface per hour.
SR-71 #955
Like all SR-71 Blackbird spy planes with tail numbers below 958, #955 was never used for any operational missions. The US Air Force (USAF) and Lockheed kept the first six SR-71As (3 each) as flight test aircraft so that new systems and configurations could be tried before being implemented for the remainder of the fleet, according to Habu.org. The SR-71B trainers that were constructed next (numbers 956 and 957) were never flown outside of the United States.
So, SR-71 #955 was a test bird destined to spend her flying career in the US, primarily in Southern California.
But this Blackbird had a secret life. #955 was used overseas on one occasion.
Equipped with the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System [ASARS-1], a real-time, high-resolution reconnaissance system carried on the SR-71 with all-weather, day-night, long-range mapping capabilities. ASARS-1 detects and accurately locates stationary and moving ground targets. The system can survey more than 100,000 square miles of the Earth’s surface in one hour.
The SR-71’s earlier HRR camera would cut out and stop recording when it was making turns; therefore, ASARS-1 was a significant improvement. The US Navy required a way to take pictures of Soviet submarines carrying ballistic missiles that could hit US targets while flying over the North Pole. What they needed was high-resolution radar.
The #955 was flown to Beale and repainted with the tail number #962… This was to not alarm the tail watchers, who would surely notice a new tail number over in Europe. She departed on Jul. 9, 1983, from Beale Air Force Base (AFB) in California. Before arriving at RAF Mildenhall, she flew across the Barents Sea.
Regenerating the SR-71 program
The SR successfully photographed and tracked the Soviet submarines. Following two additional missions in Europe, she made her way back to Beale on July 20, where she was repainted with tail number #955 before returning to Palmdale, maintaining her covert operations in secrecy.
The operation was so successful that it led to the revival of the SR-71 program. Increasing numbers of requests were received from the Navy and the CIA. Consequently, on April 5, 1984, Det 4 was given blanket clearance by the United Kingdom government to permanently base two SR-71s at RAF Mildenhall.
The SRs stayed there until the conclusion of the Cold War, demonstrating that the SR-71s played a crucial role in winning the Cold War.
Check out Habubrats SR-71‘s Twitter profile, SR71Habubrats‘s Instagram profile, and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Habubrats‘s Facebook for further Blackbird photos and stories.
Photo by Lockheed Martin and U.S. Air Force