However, a bomber variant of the Blackbird was briefly given the B-71 designator, which was retained when the type was changed to SR-71. The SR-71 designation is a continuation of the pre-1962 bomber series the last aircraft built using the series was the XB-70 Valkyrie. Designation as SR-71 SR-71 Blackbird assembly line at Skunk Works The program's cancellation was announced on 28 December 1966, due both to budget concerns and because of the forthcoming SR-71, a derivative of the A-12. The A-12 flew missions over Vietnam and North Korea before its retirement in 1968. The J58s were retrofitted as they became available, and became the standard engine for all subsequent aircraft in the series (A-12, YF-12, M-21), as well as the SR-71. The aircraft was meant to be powered by the Pratt & Whitney J58 engine, but development ran over schedule, and it was initially equipped with the less powerful Pratt & Whitney J75. Thirteen were built two variants were also developed, including three of the YF-12 interceptor prototype, and two of the M-21 drone carrier. The A-12 first flew at Groom Lake ( Area 51), Nevada, on 25 April 1962. The 1960 downing of Francis Gary Powers's U-2 underscored that aircraft's vulnerability and the need for faster reconnaissance aircraft such as the A-12. The CIA approved a US$96 million contract for Skunk Works to build a dozen spy planes, named " A-12", on 11 February 1960. After a meeting with the CIA in March 1959, the design was modified to have a 90% reduction in radar cross-section. Despite this, however, its shape made it vulnerable to radar detection. Of 11 successive designs drafted in a span of 10 months, "A-10" was the front-runner. The work on project Archangel began in the second quarter of 1958, with aim of flying higher and faster than the U-2. The project, named Archangel, was led by Kelly Johnson, head of Lockheed's Skunk Works unit in Burbank, California. In late 1957, the CIA approached the defense contractor Lockheed to build an undetectable spy plane. Lockheed's previous reconnaissance aircraft was the relatively slow U-2, designed for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). As of 2023 the SR-71 holds the world record, which it set in 1976, as the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft, previously held by the related Lockheed YF-12. Since its retirement, the SR-71's role has been taken up by a combination of reconnaissance satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) a proposed UAV successor, the SR-72, is under development by Lockheed Martin, and scheduled to fly in 2025. A total of 32 aircraft were built 12 were lost in accidents with none lost to enemy action. On average, each SR-71 could fly once per week due to the extended turnaround required after mission recovery. If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outpace the missile. During missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes (Mach 3.2 and 85,000 feet, 25,900 meters), allowing it to outrace or entirely avoid threats. Mission equipment for the plane's aerial reconnaissance role included signals intelligence sensors, side looking airborne radar, and a camera. NASA was the final operator of the Blackbird, using it as a research platform it was retired again in 1999. In 1989, the USAF retired the SR-71, largely for political reasons several were briefly reactivated during the 1990s before their second retirement in 1998. The SR-71's existence was revealed to the public in July 1964 it entered service in the United States Air Force (USAF) in January 1966. The SR-71 was longer and heavier than the A-12, allowing it to hold more fuel as well as a two-seat cockpit. Initially, a bomber variant of the A-12 was requested by Curtis LeMay, before the program was focused solely on reconnaissance. The shape of the SR-71 was based on that of the Lockheed A-12, which was one of the first aircraft to be designed with a reduced radar cross-section. American aerospace engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the aircraft's innovative concepts. The SR-71 was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft during the 1960s by Lockheed's Skunk Works division. The SR-71 has several nicknames, including " Blackbird" and " Habu". The Lockheed SR-71 " Blackbird" is a long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation.
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