this post was submitted on 09 Oct 2025
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Similar story.
The US Air Force designs the SR-71 Blackbird to be the ultimate spy plane. It's meant to be undetectable and untraceable.
Some general demands they paint USAF in big letters on the side.
The SR-71 wasn't all that stealthy. Its main defense was that it moved too high for flak and too fast for SAMs. It was retired when interception capabilities improved to match it.
It was at least partially retired because some Asshat General decided that since the USAF has multi role attack airframes, that we didn't need recon aircraft anymore. As far as I can tell the only viable threat to the planes were SAAB Viggens.
I'm not salty. You're salty.
Eh the use of recon aircraft has been fairly outdated with satellites and remote aircraft
the problem with sattelites is that they have to be on a predictable course. any opponent able to reach space can destroy them. the communication to remotely piloted aircraft can also be jammed as part of an attack. it's why they could use an astro-inertial navigation system on the SR-71 that could not be jammed and would allow the pilot to sway from the planned course, but also go back on course. i can't believe they retired it. it closed a gap.
spy planes have better maneuverability than sattelites. if it flies as high as the SR-71, the pilot has a lot of time to react from missile launch until it's close.
Yeah the NRO satellites really make me doubt that. $2-$6b satellites capable imaging the sunlit side of the planet every 90 minutes would be a stupid expense if any country could just shoot them down.
to shoot one down is expensive and creates space debris, but
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-satellite_weapon
Didn't NASA have a couple of them for a while?
That was on purpose, They knew it wouldn't matter, it was never shot down. It's like they built the Titanic in the 80's and decided to name it "200% more unsinkable". Pure hubris
Hm, I like the story of the U-2 better, in which Kelly Johnson, the plane's designer, tells the CIA the Soviets won't be able to shoot it down BUT that they are massively ramping up their capabilities and will have caught up by 1960. The plane was eventually shot down on May 1, 1960 to the great embarrassment of president Eisenhower.
Happy May Day, Mr. Krushchev!
Wait, is that why in films(idk about real life) they always say "may day"?
No it's french
M'aidez or something? (Pardon my French, it's all self-taught.)
Yes
Kinda hard to read something moving at mach 2+ though right?
Source? I did a quick websearch and didn't see anything on that
It's true. Im actually the guy who painted the letters on the planes!
slow clap
Mikey? Haven't seen you in a long time!
How are you doing? Still have that bum leg after falling off the ladder trying to paint letters?
More like the F-117 Nighthawk getting shot down whilst bombing Yoguslavia because the flight path became too predictable
TIL