The A-12 is a high-speed, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft created by the Lockheed Skunk Works division for the CIA under the Oxcart program in the early 1960s. The breakthrough design and power plant gave the aircraft the ability to fly at a cruising speed of more than Mach 3, which, for that time, was a revolutionary achievement.The Oxcart project and the A-12 itself, led by the CIA for a long time, were strictly classified. This, along with the limited number and duration of service, was the reason why the strategic reconnaissance plane SR-71 became the famous representative of the heirs of the Archangel, although the A-12 was the founder of this family.Today we will get acquainted with the A-12, its history and design and try to figure out why it became such an iconic aircraft.