In October of 1983, the world’s first operational stealth aircraft took to the skies under cover of both physical and metaphorical darkness. This new jet, dubbed the F-117 Nighthawk, would revolutionize America’s approach to air warfare, pivoting away from the higher and faster mantra that had dominated much of the Cold War, and toward the doctrine of stealth. As of its introduction in 1983, being sneaky became more important than being powerful in military aviation. While this technical frontier was first explored by the U.S. Air Force, by the time the Nighthawk was on duty prowling the sky, the U.S. Navy wanted a stealth platform all their own.
Eventually, Lockheed would pitch the idea of a significantly more capable F-117N Seahawk, based on their first-of-its-kind Nighthawk. But the Seahawk wasn’t the Navy’s first pass at a carrier-capable stealth attack aircraft. Ten years before the Seahawk proposal would reach Navy desks, the Navy was already getting started on their Advanced Tactical Aircraft (ATA) program. The ATA initially sought to replace the Grumman A-6 Intruder by the mid-1990s. The Intruder had been in service for the U.S. Navy as a ground attack platform since 1963, and the Navy saw a replacement program as the perfect opportunity to get into the stealth game.
On 13 January 1988, a joint team from McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics was awarded a development contract for what was to become the A-12 Avenger II, not to be confused with Lockheed’s proposed A-12 of the 1960s, which sought to arm an SR-71 sibling jet with air-to-air weapon systems. Once completed, the Navy’s A-12 would have been a flying wing-design reminiscent of Northrop Grumman’s B-2 Spirit or forthcoming B-21 Raider, though much smaller.
A new aircraft for a new approach to air warfare
Intended to serve aboard carriers, the A-12 Avenger II was to be slightly more than 37 feet long, with a wingspan of a few inches more than 70 feet. These dimensions would have made the A-12 significantly shorter than the nearly 55-foot-long Intruder, while boasting a far wider wingspan that extended just far enough to allow two A-12s to sit side-by-side on adjacent catapults on a carrier flight deck. In fact, the A-12’s wingspan would have even dwarfed the F-14 Tomcat’s extended sweep-wings by a good six feet.
Although the A-12 Avenger II utilized a flying wing design, its overall shape differed from the triangular B-2 Spirit under development for the Air Force. The sharp triangular shape of the A-12 eventually earned it the nickname, “the flying Dorito.“
Despite the width of the A-12 Avenger II, however, the aircraft itself was only meant to carry a comparatively small 5,150 pounds of internal ordnance, which would outperform the Nighthawk’s paltry payload of just two 2,000 pound GBU-27 laser-guided bombs, but was nowhere near the 18,000 pounds offered by the Intruder.
However, like modern stealth aircraft in operation today, the A-12 Avenger was never intended to scream into the fight with its teeth bared. In the minds of many defense officials, its ability to strike targets without warning in highly contested airspace was more useful than a massive payload. In yet another example of how military aviation was rapidly changing throughout the Cold War, blanketing an area with munitions was no longer considered the most effective means of engaging the enemy. Instead, stealth combined with highly accurate precision munitions would allow the A-12 Avenger II to surgically strike enemy targets where it hurt most.
More of a stealth fighter than the “stealth fighter”
Despite clearly serving in an attack capacity, Lockheed’s F-117 Nighthawk had been given the “F” designator (and the informal moniker of “stealth fighter”) intentionally. The F-117 possessed no air-to-air capability whatsoever–a defining characteristic for a “fighter” aircraft–but Air Force officials hoped the concept of a “stealth fighter” would attract the sort of highly-skilled fighter jocks this new attack aircraft would really need.
The Navy entertained no such chicanery in their own stealth jet, planning to saddle their new platform with an “A” prefix to demonstrate its use against ground targets despite actually having the ability to engage air targets with its two internally-stored AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles. In other words, the A-12 Avenger II would have actually been America’s first stealth fighter.
However, the A-12 wouldn’t have been well suited for fighting the powerful and acrobatic fourth-generation fighters being fielded by national opponents like the Soviet Union and post-collapse Russia at the time. With a top speed of just 580 miles per hour and a service ceiling of 40,000 feet, this subsonic aircraft may have been armed with the missiles it would need to take down on enemy jet, but logic would dictate that it rely on stealth, rather than firepower, if enemy fighters were in the area.
The A-12 Avenger II would have led the way into battle
Aside from its two air-to-air missiles, the A-12 Avenger II was also intended to carry 2 AGM-88 HARM air-to-ground missiles that had entered service in 1985. The AGM-88 was an anti-radiation missile, meaning it could home in on the electromagnetic waves emanating from early warning radar arrays and surface-to-air missile platforms. In other words, the A-12 Avenger II would have been able to serve in a similar capacity to today’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in contested airspace. The A-12 would hunt down air defense systems and eliminate them to clear the way for less-stealthy and more weapon-laden platforms that could follow.
When not on the hunt for enemy radar, the AGM-88 HARM missiles could be swapped out in favor of unguided or precision bombs for continued action against ground targets.
At one point, the Navy had plans to purchase 620 A-12 Avenger IIs, with the Marine Corps ordering another 238, and even the Air Force mulling over an order of 400 modified A-12 variants to replace their outgoing F-111 Aardvarks. It’s important to note that only 59 operational F-117A Nighthawks were ever built — so the A-12 Avenger II promised to become America’s premier stealth aircraft for years to come, with a total of 1,258 aircraft in American stables. If all of these orders had been filled, the A-12 Avenger II would have become one of America’s most plentiful aircraft, second only to the U.S. Army’s massive fleet of UH-60 Black Hawks.
For some time, it seemed as though the A-12 Avenger II program was going off without a hitch, but then, seemingly without warning, it was canceled by Defense Secretary (and future Vice President of the United States) Dick Cheney in January of 1991.
An unceremonious end
For some time, the A-12 Avenger II program seemed to be progressing smoothly, and Cheney had repeatedly reported as such when pressed about the program by Congress. The truth is, as far as Cheney knew (according to some accounts), the program did seem to be going smoothly, as officials within the Navy, the Pentagon, and both McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics all seemed intent on sugar-coating the program’s woes.
Unbeknownst to many, the aircraft, which had yet to fly by the beginning of 1991, was already significantly overweight, 18-months behind schedule, and massively over budget.
In an article published by Air Force Magazine in April of 1991, three months after the A-12 Avenger II program was canceled, Pentagon investigators had come to place the blame on four separate and significant factors (as outlined at the time by David Montgomery):
- “Overly protective Navy officials, who didn’t want to endanger the plane by pointing out problems. A Pentagon analyst first detected a possible cost overrun two years ago, but the Navy program manager continued to describe the A-12 as being on track until after a major Pentagon review last year.
- A “don’t-rock-the-boat” segment of the Pentagon bureaucracy, which was aware of the problems but apparently reluctant to buck its superiors to press its case. In one incident, a report noting A-12 problems was tucked away and forgotten.
- Overly optimistic A-12 contractors, who miscalculated the extent of the technical difficulties in producing such a plane and shielded the problems from the government. An inquiry by Navy Deputy General Counsel Chester Paul Beach found that General Dynamics and McDonnell Douglas discovered “increasing cost and schedule variances” but did not alert the Navy in a timely fashion.
- Excessive secrecy, which blanketed the project and prevented examinations that might have brought problems to light. Officials assigned to Secretaries Cheney and Garrett were kept away, standard reporting procedures were abandoned, and information was transmitted verbally rather than in writing.”
In the years that followed, the United States government and the A-12 Avenger II’s contractors, McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics, would go through repeated litigation over breach of contract, eventually reaching as high as the Supreme Court. In January of 2014, Boeing, which had absorbed McDonnell Douglas, and General Dynamics agreed to repay the government $200 million each for failing to meet the requirements of the initial contract.
Gotta love the military-industrial complex – you knew that someone’s pockets were being filled with money LOL
That’s why I don’t believe in Alien UFO’s anymore.
Look at that thing..
I was suggested this web site by my cousin. I am not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such
detailed about my trouble. You’re wonderful!
Thanks!
I am really loving the theme/design of your weblog.
Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility issues?
A couple of my blog readers have complained about my website not working correctly in Explorer but
looks great in Chrome. Do you have any tips to help fix this problem?
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew
of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet
my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some
experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything.
I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look
forward to your new updates.
Hi, I log on to your new stuff like every week.
Your humoristic style is awesome, keep doing what you’re
doing!
Have you ever thought about adding a little bit more than just your articles?
I mean, what you say is valuable and everything.
However think of if you added some great pictures or video clips to give your posts more, “pop”!
Your content is excellent but with images and videos, this
website could undeniably be one of the greatest in its niche.
Very good blog!
Heya i am for the primary time here. I found this board and
I find It really helpful & it helped me out a lot.
I hope to present one thing back and help others
such as you aided me.
My family all the time say that I am killing my time
here at net, however I know I am getting knowledge all the
time by reading thes good posts.
Hi there! I could have sworn I’ve visited this site before but after looking at some of the articles I realized it’s new to
me. Anyways, I’m certainly delighted I came across it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back
regularly!
all the time i used to read smaller posts that as well clear their motive, and that is also happening with this paragraph which I am reading at
this time.
My spouse and I stumbled over here by a different web address and thought I might as well
check things out. I like what I see so now i am following you.
Look forward to exploring your web page yet again.
Greetings from Colorado! I’m bored to tears at work so I decided to check out your website on my iphone during lunch break.
I really like the knowledge you provide here and can’t wait to take a look
when I get home. I’m shocked at how fast your blog loaded on my mobile ..
I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyways, awesome site!
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all of us you actually know what you are speaking
about! Bookmarked. Please additionally seek advice from my
site =). We will have a hyperlink trade agreement among
us
Howdy! Someone in my Facebook group shared this website
with us so I came to take a look. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m bookmarking and will be
tweeting this to my followers! Excellent blog and terrific design.
Hi would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re working with?
I’m looking to start my own blog soon but I’m having a tough time
selecting between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
The reason I ask is because your design seems different then most blogs
and I’m looking for something unique.
P.S Sorry for being off-topic but I had to ask!
If some one wishes to be updated with most up-to-date technologies afterward he
must be visit this site and be up to date daily.
Hi my friend! I wish to say that this article
is awesome, great written and come with approximately all important infos.
I’d like to look more posts like this .
Heya are using WordPress for your blog platform? I’m new to the
blog world but I’m trying to get started and set up my
own. Do you need any coding expertise to make your own blog?
Any help would be really appreciated!
Hey there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text
in your post seem to be running off the screen in Chrome.
I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with internet browser compatibility but I figured I’d post
to let you know. The design look great though!
Hope you get the problem fixed soon. Kudos
Tremendous things here. I’m very happy to peer your post.
Thank you a lot and I am looking ahead to touch you.
Will you please drop me a e-mail?
Heya just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading properly.
I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue.
I’ve tried it in two different web browsers and both show the
same results.
Excellent post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am inspired!
Very helpful information specifically the ultimate part :
) I maintain such info a lot. I was looking for this certain info for a long time.
Thanks and best of luck.
Wow! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It’s on a completely different subject but it has pretty much the same page layout and design. Wonderful choice of colors!
It’s going to be end of mine day, but before end I am reading this
great article to improve my knowledge.
I simply couldn’t go away your site prior to suggesting that I really loved the usual
info a person supply to your visitors? Is gonna be again frequently in order
to inspect new posts
Just desire to say your article is as amazing.
The clarity for your post is simply spectacular and i can assume you are a professional on this subject.
Well along with your permission let me to snatch your RSS feed
to keep updated with impending post. Thank you 1,000,
000 and please carry on the rewarding work.
Just want to say your article is as surprising. The clarity
to your post is simply excellent and that i could assume you are knowledgeable
on this subject. Fine with your permission let me to take hold of
your feed to stay up to date with drawing close post. Thank you one million and please carry on the rewarding work.
Can I just say what a comfort to find somebody who truly knows what they’re discussing on the internet.
You actually realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important.
More people must read this and understand this side of the story.
It’s surprising you are not more popular given that you certainly
have the gift.
Hey there! This is kind of off topic but I need some advice from an established blog.
Is it tough to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I
can figure things out pretty fast. I’m thinking about setting up my
own but I’m not sure where to start. Do you have
any ideas or suggestions? Cheers
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you writing
this post and the rest of the website is extremely good.
After looking into a few of the blog articles on your web site, I seriously like
your technique of blogging. I book-marked it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back soon. Please visit my website as well and let me know how you feel.
Hello There. I discovered your blog using msn. This is a
really smartly written article. I will make sure to bookmark it
and come back to learn more of your helpful info.
Thanks for the post. I will certainly comeback.
I’ve been surfing online more than 2 hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours.
It is pretty worth enough for me. Personally, if all web owners and
bloggers made good content as you did, the web will be much more useful than ever before.
Hi are using WordPress for your blog platform?
I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and
create my own. Do you require any html coding knowledge to make your own blog?
Any help would be really appreciated!
It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d certainly
donate to this excellent blog! I suppose for now
i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS feed to my Google
account. I look forward to brand new updates and will talk about this site
with my Facebook group. Talk soon!
I know this site offers quality dependent content and other material,
is there any other web site which offers these stuff
in quality?
What i do not understood is in reality how you are no
longer actually much more neatly-appreciated than you
may be right now. You are so intelligent. You understand therefore significantly when it comes to this matter, made me in my opinion believe it from a lot of various angles.
Its like women and men aren’t interested until it’s one thing to
accomplish with Lady gaga! Your personal stuffs nice. At all times deal with it up!
Hello Dear, are you genuinely visiting this website regularly,
if so then you will definitely take good know-how.
Hello mates, its impressive article on the topic of teachingand entirely explained,
keep it up all the time.
Awesome post.
It’s an remarkable piece of writing for all the internet users; they will get advantage from it
I am sure.
Hi there, You’ve done a fantastic job. I’ll certainly digg it and personally recommend to my friends.
I am sure they will be benefited from this site.
When someone writes an article he/she retains the thought of a user in his/her brain that how a
user can know it. So that’s why this piece of writing is amazing.
Thanks!
Do you have any video of that? I’d like to find out some additional information.
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely well
written article. I will make sure to bookmark it and come back
to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the
post. I will definitely comeback.
Wow, marvelous weblog layout! How lengthy have you been blogging for?
you make blogging glance easy. The full look of
your site is fantastic, as neatly as the content material!
It’s an amazing piece of writing in favor of all the
internet people; they will get benefit from it I am sure.
Hello fantastic blog! Does running a blog similar
to this take a large amount of work? I have very little understanding of coding but I was hoping to
start my own blog soon. Anyway, if you have any suggestions or techniques for
new blog owners please share. I understand this is off
topic however I just wanted to ask. Cheers!
Excellent beat ! I would like to apprentice while
you amend your web site, how could i subscribe for a blog web site?
The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear concept
I think everything said was very reasonable. But, what about this?
suppose you were to create a killer headline?
I am not suggesting your information isn’t good, but suppose you added a headline
to possibly get folk’s attention? I mean The A-12 Avenger II
would've been America's first real 'stealth fighter' –
Sandboxx is a little boring. You could look at Yahoo’s front page
and watch how they create article titles to grab viewers
interested. You might add a related video or a related picture or two to get people excited about
everything’ve got to say. Just my opinion, it might make
your website a little bit more interesting.
Great post.
I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my
own blog and was wondering what all is required to get set up?
I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a
pretty penny? I’m not very internet savvy so I’m not 100% positive.
Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
I got this site from my pal who told me about this website and now this time I am visiting this
web site and reading very informative posts
here.
Thank you for the good writeup. It if truth be told was a enjoyment account it.
Glance advanced to far delivered agreeable from you!
However, how can we keep in touch?
This post is truly a good one it helps new web users, who
are wishing for blogging.
A motivating discussion is definitely worth comment. There’s no doubt that
that you need to write more about this subject, it may not be a taboo subject but generally people do not speak about
these issues. To the next! Best wishes!!
Excellent blog! Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own blog soon but I’m a little
lost on everything. Would you advise starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option?
There are so many choices out there that I’m completely overwhelmed ..
Any recommendations? Thanks!
I delight in, result in I found exactly what I was having
a look for. You’ve ended my 4 day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day.
Bye
Very good info. Lucky me I recently found your blog by chance (stumbleupon).
I have book-marked it for later!
Hi to every one, as I am truly eager of reading this weblog’s post to
be updated on a regular basis. It includes good material.
Undeniably believe that which you stated. Your favorite justification seemed to
be on the web the easiest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I definitely get annoyed while people consider worries that they plainly don’t know about.
You managed to hit the nail upon the top and also defined out the
whole thing without having side-effects , people can take a signal.
Will likely be back to get more. Thanks
I blog quite often and I truly appreciate your information. Your article
has really peaked my interest. I’m going to book mark
your site and keep checking for new information about once per week.
I opted in for your Feed too.
Marvelous, what a web site it is! This blog provides helpful
information to us, keep it up.
I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good.
I don’t know who you are but certainly you’re going to a famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!
Good day! Do you know if they make any plugins to safeguard against hackers?
I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve worked hard on. Any tips?
Hurrah, that’s what I was looking for, what a data! existing
here at this weblog, thanks admin of this site.
I was recommended this web site by my cousin. I’m not sure whether this post is written by him as no one else
know such detailed about my difficulty. You’re incredible!
Thanks!
hello there and thank you for your information – I’ve certainly picked up anything new from
right here. I did however expertise some technical issues
using this web site, since I experienced to reload the website a lot of times previous to I could get it to
load properly. I had been wondering if your web host is OK?
Not that I’m complaining, but sluggish loading
instances times will very frequently affect your placement in google and could damage your high quality score if ads and marketing with Adwords.
Well I am adding this RSS to my email and could look out for a lot
more of your respective fascinating content. Ensure that you update this again very soon.
Appreciate the recommendation. Will try it out.
This design is steller! You definitely know how to keep a reader amused.
Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog
(well, almost…HaHa!) Excellent job. I really enjoyed what you had to say, and
more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!
Stunning story there. What happened after? Thanks!
Attractive section of content. I simply stumbled upon your
weblog and in accession capital to assert that I acquire in fact enjoyed
account your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing on your augment or even I fulfillment you get admission to
persistently fast.
It’s going to be end of mine day, except before finish I am reading
this fantastic article to improve my know-how.
Hello, i think that i saw you visited my blog thus i came to return the want?.I am attempting to find things to improve my web site!I guess its adequate to use some
of your ideas!!
Great weblog right here! Also your website lots up fast!
What host are you the use of? Can I get your affiliate hyperlink on your host?
I wish my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
Hi, i believe that i noticed you visited my website so i came to go back
the desire?.I am attempting to find things to enhance
my website!I suppose its good enough to make use of some of your ideas!!
Hey would you mind stating which blog platform you’re
using? I’m looking to start my own blog in the near future
but I’m having a tough time choosing between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs and
I’m looking for something unique. P.S My apologies for
being off-topic but I had to ask!
I every time emailed this weblog post page to all my contacts, because if like to
read it next my links will too.
Incredible! This blog looks exactly like my
old one! It’s on a entirely different topic but it has pretty much the same layout and design.
Wonderful choice of colors!
It’s remarkable to pay a quick visit this web page and reading the
views of all mates about this article, while I am also eager of getting know-how.
Because the admin of this web page is working, no question very soon it will be
well-known, due to its quality contents.
What’s up, its pleasant paragraph about media print, we all understand media is a enormous source of data.
What i do not understood is if truth be told how you’re no longer actually much
more well-appreciated than you may be right now. You’re very intelligent.
You know therefore considerably with regards to this matter,
produced me in my view consider it from numerous varied angles.
Its like men and women don’t seem to be involved until it’s something to do with Girl gaga!
Your individual stuffs great. All the time care for it up!
I feel that is one of the so much important info for me.
And i am glad reading your article. But want to statement on few general issues, The website taste is ideal, the articles is truly nice : D.
Just right activity, cheers
I’m not sure why but this weblog is loading very slow for me.
Is anyone else having this problem or is it a problem on my end?
I’ll check back later and see if the problem still exists.
It’s truly a nice and useful piece of info. I’m glad that you simply shared this helpful information with us.
Please stay us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d most certainly donate to this fantastic blog!
I suppose for now i’ll settle for bookmarking
and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to brand new updates and will talk about this site with my Facebook group.
Chat soon!
You’re so cool! I do not believe I have read anything like this before.
So wonderful to find someone with some unique thoughts on this
subject. Really.. thanks for starting this up.
This site is something that is required on the web, someone with a bit of originality!
Hey there! I’ve been reading your website for a
long time now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from
New Caney Tx! Just wanted to mention keep up the great job!
Fantastic goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to
and you’re just extremely magnificent. I really like what you’ve acquired here,
certainly like what you are saying and the way in which you say
it. You make it enjoyable and you still take care of to keep it wise.
I cant wait to read far more from you. This is actually a tremendous website.
I enjoy what you guys are up too. This sort of clever work and
reporting! Keep up the amazing works guys I’ve added you guys to our blogroll.
It’s hard to come by educated people for this topic, however, you sound like you know what you’re talking about!
Thanks
I have to thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this website.
I really hope to see the same high-grade blog posts from you later on as well.
In truth, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my own, personal website now 😉
Hi there i am kavin, its my first occasion to commenting anyplace, when i read this piece
of writing i thought i could also make comment due to this sensible post.
Appreciation to my father who informed me regarding
this webpage, this blog is actually amazing.
bookmarked!!, I really like your site!
Howdy very cool blog!! Man .. Beautiful .. Superb
.. I will bookmark your website and take the feeds also?
I’m happy to find a lot of useful information right here within the
publish, we need develop extra techniques on this regard, thanks for sharing.
. . . . .
Today, I went to the beach with my children. I found a sea shell
and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the shell
to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched
her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is entirely off
topic but I had to tell someone!
I am truly grateful to the owner of this website who has shared this impressive post at here.
Howdy would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re working with?
I’m looking to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a
difficult time choosing between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
The reason I ask is because your layout seems different then most blogs and I’m looking
for something unique. P.S My apologies
for getting off-topic but I had to ask!
fantastic publish, very informative. I ponder why the other specialists of this
sector don’t notice this. You must proceed your writing.
I’m sure, you have a great readers’ base already!
It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a doubt donate to this
superb blog! I suppose for now i’ll settle for bookmarking
and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to new updates and will share this site with my
Facebook group. Chat soon!
Spot on with this write-up, I seriously believe that this site
needs far more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read through
more, thanks for the information!
Hi! Do you know if they make any plugins to safeguard against hackers?
I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve worked hard on. Any recommendations?
Amazing! Its actually remarkable post, I have got much clear
idea concerning from this article.
Thanks for the auspicious writeup. It in reality was a entertainment account it.
Glance advanced to far brought agreeable from you!
However, how can we keep up a correspondence?
Hey I am so glad I found your blog page, I really found you by mistake, while I was
researching on Digg for something else, Nonetheless I am here
now and would just like to say thank you for a marvelous post and a all round exciting blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t
have time to read it all at the minute but I have bookmarked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a great deal more,
Please do keep up the awesome jo.
You ought to take part in a contest for one of the most useful sites on the internet.
I most certainly will recommend this site!
There’s definately a great deal to find out about this issue.
I like all the points you’ve made.
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I
find this topic to be actually something that I think I would
never understand. It seems too complex and extremely broad for me.
I’m looking forward for your next post, I’ll try to get the hang of it!
It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d certainly
donate to this excellent blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS feed
to my Google account. I look forward to new updates and will share this website with my Facebook group.
Chat soon!
I was recommended this web site by my cousin. I’m now
not sure whether or not this post is written via him as no one else recognize such unique approximately my problem.
You’re incredible! Thank you!
Great blog here! Also your website loads up fast! What web host are you using?
Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish
my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
Is the new fighter “built in a year” really just a more finished, refined, modified version of this A-12 (as opposed to the CIA SR-12) ?
Basically a flying wing with the necessary controls (thrust vectoring) – with sufficient range to safeguard carriers from current opposition high speed anti-ship missiles? (It’s really about range, enhanced stealth, to target radar, anti aircraft, antiship capability?)
In June 1981, five, very clear photographs of a US Stealth Fighter, perhaps the F-117A, were taken at Groom Lake, Nevada. They’re most remarkable because they show the aircraft interacting with a UFO. I discovered the photos in October, in a warehouse in Moab, Utah, where I’d gone at the request of Billy Meier. The photos can be seen in the article titled, “Billy Meier, Time Travel and Groom Lake”, at theyflyblog.
Understandable skepticism can be resolved by reading what US astronaut Gordon Cooper, USAF OSI/Dept. of State investigator/supervisor Joe Tysk and other aerospace, military, scientific, photographic, special effects experts, etc., have said over the past five decades: “The Singularly Authentic Billy Meier UFO Case”. at the same blog.
Hopefully, this comment will survive; I’ll be glad to address responses. Perhaps, since we’re being bombarded with disinformation from the Pentagon and their “threat assessment” about UFOs, etc., there may be a few people here who’d like to know the truth.
BTW, the always unasked question, “If the contacts are real, what’s the…REASON for them?” is answered in the content of this 80 year long, still ongoing case:
The Billy Meier contacts are the key to our future survival.
Their long-standing warnings about the two coming, now unstoppable US civil wars date back to 1981. Their impeccably accurate information about the coronavirus dates back to 1989. I began publishing their COVID-19 information on February 25, when there were…57 cases in the entire country. I always publish their information BEFORE the CDC, WHO, etc. And it’s ALWAYS error-free, never revised, etc.
But, if we wish to see tens to hundreds of million more deaths from the disease, I’m sure the intelligence services will be glad to continue to suppress, ignore, or attack the information and the man behind it.
The people were warned…and did they listen?
Why dont you supply a link to materials so we can figure out WTF you are talking about. Would like to see the photos.
Another nail in the A-12 coffin was the Navy’s plans to also procure the A-6F and use that as a stop gap until the A-12 came online. A-6F used the F404 engine with single stage augmented trust and a vectored exhaust to improve takeoff performance. It had an improved electronic attack suite using the ALE-47, ALE-50, ALR-67 ASR, ALQ-165 Wizard and an optical missile launch alert system. Self protection also included a third wing hard point to carry two AIM-120s.
Shortly after the A-12 was canceled the A-6F was axed and the Navy started looking at an improved version of the poly plastic lawn dart (F/A-18E/F).
The title of this article is grossly misleading. The A-12 wasn’t a fighter. The “A” stands for attack. The A-12 was to be a medium range, carrier based attack aircraft. It would have replaced the A-6 Intruder, the A-7 Corsair, and to some extent the F-18. In the wake of it’s cancellation, the F-14 was converted to an attack role (sort of) and the navy developed the F-18E/F.
What the article fails to report is the Pentagons procurement “ Malpractice “ . They forced GD to team with McAir because the Navy had little confidence in GD’s ( Cowboys in Ft Worth) ability to build an aircraft for them ( e.g. failed F -111 that became the F -14 under Grumman). GD also had no composite manufacturing capability and right before the program was canceled asked McAir to take over 350 + part numbers to build. The pentagon actually split the aircraft in half and said GD you build this half and McAir the other. Imagine you build a house this way with two General Contractors!
The tax payer spent over $3B with nothing to show for it ….Similar to the C -130 AMP program under Boeing that sent D. Druyen and M. Sears to prison. The GE 414 engine for the A-12 was at least salvaged for later use in the Super Hornet. Had a couple prototypes been finished and flight tested at least valuable lessons learned could have been gleaned vs 25 yrs of legal fees for lawyers.
“Now you know the rest of the story”
Paul Harvey
Yes
I read somewhere that GD &McAir were not interested in working with each other to solve problems in the program. They did not want to give anything away as they were in competition with each other in another potentially more lucrative contract. Would that have been the F22 in that time period.
Absolutely amazing that the Navy could force this marriage to happen.
Shows once again the procurement system is flawed. Always looking for starting a new program with new technology. A more realistic approach with far less risk would be to upgrade the existing platform until the contractor of the new program can prove the new technology actually works! What happens now is the older airframe is run out of production, tooling destroyed while the new high tech program is unproven, then gets cancelled. Recurring story. Someone needs to do a forensic study on all cancelled programs and their fallout.
There were only a couple A12s ever made and the problem with the A12 was it ran faster than the missiles it was supposed to carry ( the Phoenix missile ). This I was told bus Pratt and Whitney Rep when I was in the F-16 Test program in the 1970s plus it was too expensive to fly as a fighter. Pratt and Whitney made the engines for both aircraft, The F-16, the YF-12A and SR71 .
Wrong A-12, you’re thinking of the SR-71 precursor, specifically the fighter derivative prototype, the YF-12. It was armed with the AIM-47 Falcon, from which the Phoenix was developed. An order was placed to build nearly a hundred F-12’s, but funding never forthcoming due to skyrocketing spending on the Vietnam War. Around the same time, it became clear the USSR was focusing its strategic nuclear force on ICBM’s. At the end of the day, having a mach 3+ titanium cadillac plinking the USSR’s handful of turboprop T-95 Bear’s was wildly overkill.
Worst thing about canning the A-12 and the Bombcats have left CAS at the mercy of the radicalized Christians in the USAF. Who would have canned the A-10 if they got more four years of the orange moron.
With Biden we will probably be flying bi-wings in a couple of years. He’s pretty much said he wants to reduce military spending for more social crap.
Oh please, trumptard. Only the worthless stuff is getting reduced. Like the Wunderwaffle-35. The lack of reforms is why America’s fighting strength has fallen. Kick out all the meth smoking rural moochers and America will regain super status.
*Superpower status
We’ll likely see a return to 0bama’s policies of gutting the military again while throwing troops at every 3rd world conflict we should avoid.
Trump is gone now. Go get some therapy for your TDS. Hateful rhetoric makes you just as moronically shallow as the folks storming the capital (and burning down police stations). It also weakens any sort of salient point you were trying to make.
That piece of shit A-10 should’ve been long gone before the fall of the Soviet Union. Most unreliable CAS plane ever. Rather die by the enemy hands than to be strafed by a retard on a flying pig.
The A-12 was not a fighter, hence the “A” in “A-12”.
The Lockheed A12 was not a fighter. It was the CIAs lighter, faster, version of the SR71. The fighter version was the YF12.
No, the SR-71 was the USAFs heavier slower version of the CIA’s A-12. The A-12 came first.