SR-71 Blackbird

The Lockheed SR-71, unofficially known as the Blackbird and by its crews as the Habu, was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed YF-12A and A-12 aircraft by the Lockheed Skunk Works (also responsible for the U-2 Dragon Lady and many other advanced aircraft). It flew from 1964 - 1998. The legendary "Kelly" Johnson, in particular, was the man behind many of the design's advanced concepts. The SR-71 was one of the first aircraft to be shaped to have an extremely low radar signature. The aircraft flew so fast and so high that if the pilot detected a surface-to-air missile launch, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate. Although up to 20 crashed due to accidents, no SR-71 was ever shot down.

Notable Pilots

 * Rabe: BAF (ACZ)

In-game appearances
While the Blackbirds have never been playable aircraft in any AC game to date, they appear at least once in most of them at some point:


 * Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies features two Blackbirds: one in mission 08 ("Shattered Skies/Operation Countdown") and another in 16 ("Whiskey Corridor/Operation Sandstorm").
 * In Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War, the spy aircraft that the Wardog Squadron pursues in mission 01 ("Shorebirds/Operation Lagoon") is an SR-71 Blackbird. Because the Wardog are forbidden to open fire, it cannot be shot down.
 * In Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, when the Galm and Crow Squadrons arrive to Tauberg Plateau in mission 09 ("Sword of Annihilation/Operation Judgement"), the Belkan Ace Jens "Rabe" Thon (Assault Record 067) takes off from Excalibur on an SR-71 Blackbird and attempts to escape south at high altitude.
 * Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation features a SR-71 Blackbird in mission 05 ("Anea Landing").

Related Development

 * RF-12A2 Blackbird II, the modern, combat-adapted version of the Blackbird, developed during the Corporate War of 2045