The YF-12 was a twin-seat version of the then-secret single-seat Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); unlike the A-12, it was furnished with the Hughes AN/ASG-18 fire-control radar and could be …

The YF-12 was developed in the 1960s as a high-altitude, Mach 3 interceptor to defend against supersonic bombers. Based on the A-12 reconnaissance aircraft, the YF-12A became the forerunner of the highly-sophisticated SR-71 strategic reconnaissance aircraft.

2024年12月9日 · Key Points: The YF-12 was a high-speed, high-altitude interceptor developed from the A-12 program, designed to replace the F-106 Delta Dart and defend against Soviet bombers. -Capable of Mach 3 speeds and armed with Hughes AIM-47 Falcon missiles, it held records for speed and altitude.

With the F-108 interceptor program having been cancelled due to budgetary constraints, the U.S. Air Force still required a modern high speed interceptor for which a combat adaptation of the Blackbird, named the YF-12, was seen as the solution.

The CIA A-12 Blackbird Program . The A-12 started out as an USAF interceptor to replace the cancelled F-108A Rapier. In October 1962, CIA authorized the Skunk Works to study the feasibility of modifying the A-12 to carry and deploy a reconnaissance drone for unmanned overflight of denied areas.

The Lockheed YF-12 is an interceptor aircraft built by Lockheed Corporation during the late 1950s to early 1960s. The aircraft was developed to replace the F-106 Delta Dart.

The A-12 was produced from 1962 to 1964 and flew from 1963 to 1968. It was the precursor to the twin-seat U.S. Air Force YF-12 prototype interceptor, M-21 launcher for the D-21 drone, and the SR-71 Blackbird, a slightly longer variant able to carry a heavier fuel and camera load. The A-12 began flying missions in 1967 and its final mission was ...

2024年10月28日 · The YF-12 launched a 0.25-kiloton atomic missile from 75,000 feet at Mach 3.26 in 1965. It was poised for operational production but got canceled. Here's why.

2020年3月18日 · This combat adaptation of the Blackbird, called the F-12, was set to be equipped by Lockheed Martin with a powerful AN/ASG-18 radar capable of detecting aerial targets over 800km away. The interceptor was also set to carry four long-range AIM-47 missiles, with a range of over 160km and a potent 100-pound high explosive warhead.

2024年11月13日 · Let's take a deeper look at this final proposal, a developmental project that would later become known as the Lockheed YF-12 experimental interceptor program.