‘We Need Mach 3.5’: The US Air Force SR-71 Blackbird Reached Speeds That No One Ever Thought Possible When a Missile Tried to Destroy It

‘We Need Mach 3.5’: The US Air Force SR-71 Blackbird Reached Speeds That No One Ever Thought Possible When a Missile Tried to Destroy It

RAF Lakenheath marked the fortieth anniversary of Operation El Dorado Canyon by painting an F-15E Strike Eagle in the camouflage of the F-111Fs that flew it — 22 days of work to commemorate a raid in which 24 aircraft launched from England, 18 pressed on, five target areas were struck within about 20 seconds, and one crew did not come back. Six hours later a SR-71 Blackbird went in to photograph what was left.