National Security Journal on MSN

Before the Mach 3 SR-71 Blackbird, the CIA had a secret spy plane that flew even faster

Summary and Key Points: Years before the famous SR-71 Blackbird, the CIA built the A-12 Oxcart — a top-secret Mach 3 spy ...
National Security Journal on MSN

At Mach 3.1 and 70,000 feet, the XB-70 Valkyrie bomber could outrun every Russian interceptor — but the US cancelled it

In the late 1950s, the U.S. spent $800 million building a Mach 3.1 strategic bomber that could cruise above 70,000 feet and outrun every Soviet interceptor. The North American XB-70 Valkyrie used six ...

A Lockheed YF-12A flying at Mach 3.2 and 75,000 feet fired a missile that struck a target just 500 feet above the ground, a demonstration that still sounds unreal until …

A Mach 3 YF-12A interceptor once hit a low-flying target in a historic missile test. See why speed and thermal tech still ...

A Lockheed YF-12A flying at Mach 3.2 and 75,000 feet fired a missile that hit a target flying about 500 feet above the ground, a demonstration that still reads like sci-fi ...

A Mach 3 interceptor once fired a missile from 75,000 feet and hit a target near the ground, a Cold War feat that still ...
The National Interest

The Tragic Fate of the X-2, the First Aircraft to Reach Mach 3

Numeric designation suggests a lot, and the Bell X-1 was indeed a special aircraft. Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the X-1, and the plane ushered in the modern age of supersonic flight. The X ...
Aviation Week

Boeing Withdraws Near-Mach 3 Claim For F-15

A Boeing F-15 is still quite fast, but not nearly Mach 3, the company’s program manager said on Feb. 23, correcting a previous statement. “Mach 2.497 is what we can get out of the Eagle jet and that’s ...