Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird The Secret Missions Exposed Paul F Crickmore Operation Black Shield

The only complete and accurate account of the SR-71's operational missions, featuring unprecedented first hand reports from SR-71 crewmen of their Mach 3+ sorties which reveal the true extent of the aircraft's incredible capabilities.  Tasked with performing highly classified missions, Lockheed's SR-71 is an impressive military jet as detailed in this fascinating book by Paul F. Crickmore.  This is a new and unread early 1990's First Edition of Lockheed SR-71 The Secret Missions Exposed.  The book is new, clean, and tight, but due to it's age, does have some slight imperfections on the dust jacket from storage.  The author, Paul F. Crickmore is recognized as the world authority on the Lockheed SR-71, having previously written two best selling volumes on the aircraft for Osprey Aerospace Printing.  This volume is a study of the Lockheed SR-71 military jet that reviews the alliance between NASA and the Lockheed project, and features a fully detailed listing of USAF missions flown out of Kadena.  This volume features contributions from 70 crewmembers and six generals who discuss their experiences.  Also detailed are the flights from Beale AFB in California and RAF Mildenhall in England, as the SR-71 monitored Soviet nuclear submarines in the Arctic Circle and the Baltic.  The SR-71 story features contributions from 70 crewmembers and six generals who discuss their experiences and judgements of the Blackbird project. 

The SR-71 was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft during the 1960's by Lockheed's Skunk Works division.  American aerospace engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the aircraft's innovative concepts. The shape of the SR-71 was based on that of the A-12, which was one of the first aircraft to be designed with a reduced radar cross-section.  At one point, a bomber variant of the aircraft was under consideration, before the program was focused solely on reconnaissance.  Mission equipment for the reconnaissance role included signals intelligence sensors, side-looking airborne radar, and a camera; the SR-71 was both longer and heavier than the A-12, allowing it to hold more fuel as well as a two-seat cockpit.  The SR-71 designation has been attributed to lobbying efforts by USAF Chief of Staff General Curtis LeMay, who preferred the SR (Strategic Reconnaissance) designation over simply RS (Reconnaissance, Strategic).  The aircraft entered service in January 1966.  During aerial reconnaissance 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.  If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outpace the missile.  On average, each SR-71 could fly once per week due to the extended turnaround required after mission recovery.  A total of 32 aircraft were built; 12 were lost in accidents with none lost to enemy action.  During 1988, the USAF retired the SR-71 largely for political reasons; several were briefly reactivated during the 1990s before their second retirement in 1998.  NASA was the final operator of the Blackbird, retiring their aircraft in 1999.  The SR-71 has several nicknames, including "Blackbird" and "Habu".[6] As of 2022 the SR-71 still holds the world record 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.  A proposed UAV successor, the SR-72, is under development by Lockheed Martin, and scheduled to fly in 2025.