The Lockheed A-12 was a reconnaissance aircraft built for the Central Intelligence Agency, based on the designs of Clarence “Kelly” Johnson. The A-12 was produced from 1962 through 1964, and was in operation from 1963 until 1968. It was a beautiful machine, but spy planes today are not an efficient way to use CIA resources. With many spy satellites orbiting the earth today, they are much faster in obtaining intelligence. Nevertheless is wonderful to able to see this old footage of Lockheed A-12 in action. Most speculate that the first flight of the A-12 on April 30th, 1962 as seen here was taken at Area 51. The final A-12 mission was flown in May 1968, and the program and aircraft retired in June of that year.

This declassified Lockheed Martin video above shows the first flight of the A-12, the super-secret spy plane precursor of the SR-71 Blackbird. Only 15 were made under the CIA’s OXCART program.