OXCART as an Intelligence Platform - Essay Example

28 November Lockheed Martin A-12 OXCART The attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, forced the United s to enter the Pacific Theatre of the Second World War, but more importantly, changed defense policies to avoid any such attack in the future. As a result, Central Intelligence Agency was created in 1947, with a primary role to give an early warning of any possible pre-emptive strike against the United States. To achieve the purpose, it was critical to keep a watch over enemy capabilities. The reconnaissance at the time mainly depended on air reconnaissance patrols. Signals along with Human Intelligence were the dominant practices to gather enemy information and judge their capabilities. The nuclear tests and capabilities of the United States and the Soviet Union, called for an increase in reconnaissance capabilities and for intelligence institutes to correctly judge and provide an early warning to act accordingly against any possible pre-emptive. The parameters for high altitude reconnaissance aircraft were given and Lockheed Martin was chosen to build the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft by 1954. It was designed to operate at an altitude of 70,000 feet and at the time it was thought that the Soviet Air Defense capabilities were not enough to take on the U-2; however, the estimates proved to be wrong and U-2 was detected even on its first flight over the Soviet Union. U-2 became vulnerable to the rapidly improving Soviet Air Defense capabilities and had to be replaced with a new aircraft. With efforts failing to reduce the radar signature for the U-2, Central Intelligence Agency discussed plans to build a new plane with new parameters in mind. These parameters demanded for reduced radar signature, the ability to operate at high altitudes and high air speed. These parameters were aimed at entering hostile territory undetected at high altitudes and speed to ensure safety of the crew and complete reconnaissance missions undetected. The project was initiated by late 1957 and codenamed GUSTO (Lockheed SR-71 Operations in the Far East 7). The lessons learnt with the U-2 encouraged Lockheed to aim at operational altitudes of 90,000 feet at speeds over Mach 3. The idea was to secure the investment for the next decade by taking a considerable leap ahead of the Soviet’s air defense capabilities. Lockheed and Convair were the shortlisted contestants to compete for the bid and both presented their concept designs in 1959; however, Lockheed’s design was chosen due to less production cost (Jenkins 45). By this time, Lockheed improved upon 10 designs, gradually evolving to come to the performance parameters. The design for the A-11 was submitted, which had a delta wing and a single tail fin, which was responsible for larger radar cross section. Subsequently, design for A-12 was submitted with twin fins instead of a single tail fin and new placement of the engines. Since, reduced radar signature, high cruise altitude and operational speed were the main parameters; aerodynamic profile had to be sacrificed, which resulted in a less maneuverable airframe. The project was codenamed OXCART. For completion of its intelligence role, special measures were taken to keep the plane as stealthy as possible. Since, it was to fly at speeds in access of Mach 3, the airframe was supposed to withstand high temperatures produced by air friction at the target speed. The frame had to sustain temperatures in access of 1000 degree Fahrenheit. Furthermore, to keep good range on a single fuel tank, weight had to be reduced. Steel could not be used because it would contribute to airframe’s weight, whereas, aluminum could not withstand the intense heat produced at speeds of Mach 3. To solve the problem, titanium was used for the airframe, which kept the weight down and could withstand intense heat. Ninety percent of the airframe was made from titanium, whereas, the remainder was covered with non-metallic parts in particular the mid-section area. Fluorocarbons fuel additive was also used to reduce the plume created by the afterburner so as to reduce the overall radar signature; this special fuel grade called JP7 had low volatility (Lockheed SR-71: The Secret Missions Exposed 47). The airframe was designed for high temperatures, which meant that the frame was calibrated with thermal expansion rates and the fuel tanks were designed to hold fuel at high temperatures, but at normal or surface temperature the airframe contracted and the aircraft leaked fuel. The design was approved for trial and testing in August 1959 and subsequent years saw the A-12 program improve its capabilities. The most prominent upgrade was the shift to the more powerful Pratt and Whitney J58 from J75 engines in 1962, which helped A-12 to achieve speeds over Mach 3. All these innovation in airframe were to support A-12 achieving its purpose of air reconnaissance. The optical systems selected for the project were equally state of the art for the time. The aircraft incorporated three different camera systems to provide with best photography options. Stereo cameras were the primary optical system which could take photographs covering 71 miles with a ground resolution of 12 inches (Robarge 16). The film to record the area with this resolution was 5,000 feet and special measures had to be taken to prevent damage from the heat generated by the airframe. The second system utilized an 8,400 feet film which could record an area of 60 miles with 17 inch ground resolution. The third camera system was a modified system taken from the U-2 and utilized 12,000 feet of film which covered an area of 41 miles with ground resolution of 8 inches. Apart from these three camera systems, infra-red camera was planned to be employed which could help in taking pictures even through clouds; but the system could not be deployed in the aircraft. The OXCART project further expanded with inclusion of United States Air Force and it led to different version based on the A-12 design. The Air Force looked for an interceptor and started working on YF-12A; an interceptor based on A-12. The famous SR-71 is also a variant of A-12 developed by the Air Force and that is why the two aircrafts look very similar to each other. A training version was also developed and pilots from the Air Force and Central Intelligence Agency contributed towards making a considerable pool of trained pilots for the program. The program was kept a secret, which is why; selected pilots were given an opportunity to participate in the project. Trial and testing of the aircraft continued through 1963 and majority of flights were kept within an hour of flight time. A-12 was planned to fly long ranges and to complete its intelligence role, aerial refueling was critical. The tankers had to fly at 30,000 feet and the speed difference of the two aircrafts made problems. A-12 was designed for high speeds and at low speeds it was in danger of stalling. The refueling tankers had to move as fast as possible and still the refueling speed of A-12 was in close proximity of stalling speeds, however, operating procedures were refined to add the capability to the system. During the trial and testing phase, three A-12s crashed, two from mechanical failure and one from a ground crew error (Robarge 22). By the time A-12 were close to operational capabilities, satellites were developed as well and presented a better alternative to high altitude reconnaissance aircrafts. Furthermore, the program was intended to carry missions over the Soviet Union; however, air defense capabilities of the Soviets came to the point of detecting objects flying greater than Mach 3 at the edge of space. The Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) could hit targets up to 90,000 feet. President Kennedy also publicly stated to halt reconnaissance flights over the Soviet Union. During development phase of the A-12, U-2 discovered presence of nuclear weapons in Cuba in 1962, which started the Cuban missile crisis. The United States used U-2 for the reconnaissance and intelligence gathering over Cuba; however, just two weeks after the discovery, a U-2 was shot down by Cuban air defense. By the time, A-12 did not reach its full potential and could only fly at Mach 2.8 and an altitude of 80,000 feet (Richelson 99). With the involvement of the Soviet Union, the crisis grew and by 1964 a program codenamed SKYLARK was initiated to bring A-12 up to the performance requirements and keep it as a viable option to be used for intelligence gathering during the crisis. However, it was decided not to fly reconnaissance missions due to vulnerability at 80,000 feet and the possibility of escalating the crisis. By 1964, activity is East Asia grew as China tested nuclear weapons and the United States was getting involved in Vietnam. U-2 could no longer be used due to its vulnerability to air defense systems and several aircrafts were shot down over China. Operation BLACK SHIELD was initiated by 1965 to deploy A-12 aircrafts for reconnaissance missions. Efforts were made to achieve target parameters intended for the project and by late 1965, A-12 aircrafts were operation ready to fly at Mach 3 at 90,000 feet. The operational procedures and pilot training continued in 1966 and missions were flown to achieve ranges nearing 10,000 miles by aerial refueling and endurance of the aircraft was tested. During this preparation stage of operation BLACK SHIELD, one A-12 crashed due to faulty gauge, but the project moved forward as planned. By 1967, Vietnamese deployed air defense batteries and the option to use U-2 was not feasible since they became extremely vulnerable by advancements in air defense systems. Satellite systems of the time could not provide detailed images because of limitation in resolution, therefore, A-12s’ were chosen for the mission and operation BLACK SHIELD was put in effect. On 31 May 1967, A-12 made its first operation flight over North Vietnam which lasted 3 hours 40 minutes after being refueled three times (Lockheed Blackbird: Beyond the Secret Missions 61). A-12 entered North Vietnam at Mach 3.2 at 80,000 feet, made a single pass over hostile territory, refueled over Thailand and subsequently entered the Demilitarized Zone. The photo reconnaissance by the first mission helped locate ten priority targets along with 70 of the 190 known Surface to Air Missile sites. Several Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) were fired but they all exploded far behind the aircraft. The mission demonstrated the aerial reconnaissance capabilities of the platform and subsequent missions provided critical information for strategic planning. Surface to Surface Missiles (SSM) were a great concern as they posed a serious threat to the US forces deployed in Vietnam. The aerial reconnaissance missions by A-12s’ slowly covered areas of tactical importance and by the first two months in operation BLACK SHIELD no SSM sites could be located. Furthermore, photo reconnaissance missions by A-12 provided timely information about air defense or SAM batteries and subsequently, bombing missions could be planned accordingly to greater effect. The information also helped plan better bombing missions for ports, railways, artillery positions, industrial setups and even ammunition depots. The mission flights also provided damage reports and target identification became relatively easier as operational procedures were streamlined. After initial success of missions and A-12s’ contributions towards provision of timely intelligence proved the capabilities of the platform, flight frequencies increased. From September through December 1967, 13 sorties flew over Vietnam. Some of the sorties made double passes as well to increase the coverage area. With increase in sorties, incidents of SAMs launched increased as well. Most of the SAMs were launched late and because of the speed of the aircraft the missiles could not correctly track the target and mostly exploded behind the aircraft. The Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) onboard the aircraft worked as designed and decoys proved to be effective against SAMs. By the start of 1968, North Korea started to get involved near the Demilitarized Zone and started towards plans of guerilla operations. Furthermore, Human Intelligence was difficult against North Korea and her military capabilities were difficult to access. This called for detailed aerial reconnaissance and hence scope of BLACK SHIELD expanded towards North Korea as well. The missions in the first three months of 1968 were distributed between Vietnam and North Korea, however, frequency of sorties decreased in 1968. On 23 January 1968, North Korea captured US Navy ship Pueblo which was in international waters on a Signal Intelligence mission. A-12 was deployed for a quick aerial reconnaissance of the area and intelligence gathered confirmed Pueblo being held by North Koreans which aided in negotiations for release (Robarge 38). The A-12 program ended in May 1968 in favor of SR-71 Blackbird. The OXCART project during its development was divided between Central Intelligence Agency and the United States Air Force, which led to different aircraft projects by two departments. The Air Force developed SR-71, whereas, A-12 was Central Intelligence Agency’s specialized aircraft. The two were different in camera systems and capabilities as well and each department customized its aircraft as per their specific requirements. The SR-71 had a wide array of camera sensors including the Infra-Red and a side looking radar as well. The A-12 had advantage in speed and operational altitude. The two aircrafts were tested side by side and SR-71 was chosen because of better Electronic Counter Measures and availability of Infra-Red sensor. The OXCART project represents unprecedented advancements and innovations in aeronautics. At the time, the project revolutionized every aspect of aeronautical engineering and it pushed the boundaries in every sector. The parameters and design requirements were a steep ask and something special had to be created to meet up with the operational requirements and come up with an aircraft that could fly to the edge of space at extremely high speeds; at the same time, be invulnerable to enemy air defenses. The project enabled United States to take a considerable lead in aerodynamic design, stealth, engine performance and even metallurgy for future aircraft projects to come. These innovations took time and the role for which it was intended changed as well. Strategy for the Soviets changed and more importantly, satellites started taking over the role of aerial reconnaissance. BLACK SHIELD was the perfect opportunity for the platform to showcase its operational capabilities and intelligence role it was designed for. A-12 provided accurate and timely Photo Intelligence over North Vietnam and even North Korea. The aircraft had the speed to cover North Vietnam in about ten minutes for a single pass. The platform demonstrated its intelligence capabilities as a quick response system for intelligence gathering. The images provided were of strategic importance and many high level decisions were based on the data provided by A-12s. As an intelligence platform and the role assigned to the aircraft, it has a near perfect operational record. Works Cited Crickmore, Paul. Lockheed Blackbird: Beyond the Secret Missions. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 1993. Print. Crickmore, Paul. Lockheed SR-71 Operations in the Far East. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2008. Print. Crickmore, Paul. Lockheed SR-71: The Secret Missions Expose. Oxford: Osprey Aviation, 2000. Print. Jenkins, Dennis. Lockheed Secret Projects: Inside the Skunk Works. Minnesota: MBI Publishing Company, 2001. Print. Richelson, Jeffrey. The Wizards of Langley: Inside the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology. Colorado: Westview Press, 2002. Print. Robarge, David. Archangel: CIA’s Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance Aircraft. Pittsburgh: Government Printing Office, 2012. Print. Read More