Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!cbnews!military
From: mayse@p.cs.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: US Advanced Tactical Program...
Message-ID: <6736@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 20 May 89 03:17:06 GMT
References: <6543@cbnews.ATT.COM>
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From: mayse@p.cs.uiuc.edu


I think it's more complicated than that.  What is now known as the "Blackbird"
was first called the A-11.  An evolutionary version, intended as a long-range
interceptor, was called the YF-12A.  Finally, the recon version (SR-71) 
emerged; it differs from the interceptor primarily in having recon gear and
pods instead of the interceptor's missile bays, and a forward wing "chine" 
which is smooth all the way to the nose (the interceptor had a pair of forward-
looking sensors which caused the forward part of the delta to be truncated 
somewhat).  
 
I would guess that the A-12 is the designation tentatively in use for a new
attack plane, and is not related to the Blackbird.