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2024-04-26 Science & Technology
The SR-71 was NOT CANCELED because of the Russian/ Soviet SA-5 missile.
[Facebook] The SR-71 was NOT CANCELED because of the Russian/ Soviet SA-5 missile. My father and his fellow RSOs and Pilots were not worried about being shot out of the air. You have to remember that the SR-71 had more than just cameras. SR-71 had big ears. The Electronic Warfare (EW) suite listened to the radar targeting frequencies for the missiles from the missiles. There were EW antennas throughout the SR 71. Even at three times the speed of sound, The antennas would pick up the radar pulse.

The SR 71 had a very clever deception jammer. The system received a tracking radar pulse, fiddled with it, and returned it. The returning pulse was just a little stronger. The enemy would be tracking the SR 71 and would find the location, but it was FALSE. The deception jammer had drawn the trackers away from the real SR 71. The enemy thought they were tracking, and in some instances, they felt they had a straightforward kill.

But the real SR 71 was far, far away. This interests me because my father, Colonel Richard “Butch” Sheffield, and Bob Spencer collected the SA 5 radar frequency in 1971. The SR-71 was soon after this risky flight (within a few feet of Russia) able to jam the SA 5.

The other reason for the early cancellation of the SR 71 was the Generals were jealous because they ( Two of them) were rejected from the SR 71 program before they were made General. They were so vindictive that they did not promote Lieutenant Colonels to full Colonels who deserved it. They demanded that the special orange flight suit be taken away from the SR 71 Crewmembers.. it was unprofessional and wrong what the two Generals did at the Pentagon. This is the information given to me by the pilots and RSOs who flew the SR 71.

Between the jamming system, the speed, and the altitude, I believe there was no chance of a shootdown. Of course, there could’ve been one million lucky shots, but that never occurred.

Source: BlackBird Rising: birth of an Aviation legend.

Paraphrased by~ Linda Sheffield
Posted by Skidmark 2024-04-26 02:19|| || Front Page|| [11148 views ]  Top

#1 I pushed paper in 1968 for an ECM package rumored to be for the SR-71. It would supposedly "do everything but cook the pilot's breakfast."
Posted by Bobby 2024-04-26 05:04||   2024-04-26 05:04|| Front Page Top

#2 ...I follow Linda on both FB and TwiX - I believe her.

And she's not far off on the other reasons for the cancellation, but I'd add one more: it belonged to the old Strategic Air Command. When the USAF was reorganized in the early 90s, the victorious Fighter Mafia pulled a 'Night Of The Sicilian Vespers' on anything even remotely connected with SAC. The SR was expensive and resource-demanding but it wore a SAC shield to boot...and that was the last nail in the coffin.

Mike
Posted by MikeKozlowski 2024-04-26 06:51||   2024-04-26 06:51|| Front Page Top

#3 No sale. SR-71 was no threat to the fighter aircraft domain. It was a hugely successful ISR platform that was very expensive to operate and got overshadowed by a combination of improving satellite assets and good enough while cheaper U-2 longevity.

But soap operas and conspiracies give some people a much better buzz...
Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-26 10:18||   2024-04-26 10:18|| Front Page Top

#4 The "discussion," such as it is, exists in a contextual vacuum. By the time SR-71 was in what would be considered routine use, we knew from many other sources that the USSR was falling way behind in the areas we needed imaging intel to corroborate.
Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-26 10:22||   2024-04-26 10:22|| Front Page Top

#5 a combination of improving satellite assets and good enough while cheaper U-2 longevity

Fusion of async single platform spot intel is often open to interpretation.
Posted by Skidmark 2024-04-26 11:13||   2024-04-26 11:13|| Front Page Top

#6 ^ The intel is a product. The providers are acutely attuned to what the customer responds to because of the enormous budgets and time constraints.

As for "imterpretation," I give you the Steele dossier, Hunter's laptop and COVID.

Interpretation is in the eye of the beholder.

SR-71 butthurt is like A-10 butthurt. The patient doesn't even recognize the disease.
Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-26 11:22||   2024-04-26 11:22|| Front Page Top

#7 Single platform:

Keyhole
Trumpet
Orion
SBIRS
Silent Barker

Etc.
Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-26 11:25||   2024-04-26 11:25|| Front Page Top

#8 ^, again.
Posted by Skidmark 2024-04-26 11:27||   2024-04-26 11:27|| Front Page Top

#9 My brain has to interpret all my sensory input.

How many people are even aware their brain has to right the image that the pupil focuses on the retina?

Moaning about interpretation is cute in a retarded child sort of way.
Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-26 11:31||   2024-04-26 11:31|| Front Page Top

#10 Aircraft development will never be fast enough now to be a player. Yes, satellites take a long time to develop and build but they don't have the test flight stage of development.

The age of manned military aircraft is almost over. Maybe we should euthanize the people who can't deal with that reality to save everyone unnecessary pain.
Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-26 11:41||   2024-04-26 11:41|| Front Page Top

#11 How many people...

Thank you for the example.
Vertical inversion is a evolutionary auto-correction that occurs in the visual cortex secondary to the 'single source' retina.

Apparently easier to change the post capture software than the point-of-origin hardware.

Life imitates nature.
Posted by Skidmark 2024-04-26 11:46||   2024-04-26 11:46|| Front Page Top

#12 Are you sure? Who has shown that the eyeball isn't oriented to obviate the need for "software correction?"
Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-26 11:51||   2024-04-26 11:51|| Front Page Top

#13 Unraveling the transcriptomic landscape of eye migration and visual adaptations during flatfish metamorphosis
Posted by Skidmark 2024-04-26 12:04||   2024-04-26 12:04|| Front Page Top

#14 Maybewe should euthanize the people who can't deal with that reality to save everyone unnecessary pain.

Or hold some doubt with Battlestar Galactica (2004) being a cautionary tale. Wouldn't the real irony be that with all the different competing 'AI' systems that everything electronic becomes so unreliable we go back to 1800s tech and steampunk wins?
Posted by swksvolFF 2024-04-26 13:01||   2024-04-26 13:01|| Front Page Top

#15 Maybewe should euthanize the people...

That will come with the blast, as will the following dystopia.
Posted by Skidmark 2024-04-26 13:09||   2024-04-26 13:09|| Front Page Top

#16 Yes. Star Wars and other sci fi will save us.
Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-26 13:20||   2024-04-26 13:20|| Front Page Top

#17 SR-71 = obsolete technology. Gone.
A-10 = obsolete technology. Gone.
Meatware = obsolete technology. Gone.

If you need a nostalgia fix, go to any site that slobbers about "Star Wars canyon."
Posted by M. Murcek 2024-04-26 13:24||   2024-04-26 13:24|| Front Page Top

#18 Blackbird has a Long Mustache.
Posted by swksvolFF 2024-04-26 21:04||   2024-04-26 21:04|| Front Page Top

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