Titanium from Russia Was the Secret Ingredient in the SR-71 Blackbird

While America’s F-35 Lightning II and China’s Chengdu J-20 fighter jet platforms are widely recognized today as formidable fifth-generation fighters, both airframes are outpaced by a jet that was introduced more than five decades ago. The SR-71 “Blackbird” is perhaps the most notorious Cold War airframe in existence. 

Created by Lockheed Martin’s “Skunk Works,” the long-range, high-altitude, strategic reconnaissance fighter could operate at speeds in excess of Mach 3.0 (three times the speed of sound).