The CIA developed the highly secret A-12 OXCART (above right) as the U-2 spy plane’s successor, intended to meet the nation’s need for a very fast, very high-flying reconnaissance aircraft that could avoid Soviet air defenses. It became operational on November 12, 1965.
Not only did the A-12 prove its worth during its short operational life, but the overall OXCART project produced the second-longest-lasting aerial reconnaissance platform in US intelligence history: the SR-71.
OXCART vs Blackbird: Do You Know the Difference?
