The SR-71 nighttime flight performance restrictions were lifted so the flight could be flown at max Mach (3.2) and turns made at a max bank of 35 degrees instead of the normal 25 degrees.
This story originates from the unpublished book by former SR-71 Blackbird Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO) Colonel Richard Sheffield. Linda Sheffield Miller, Colonel Sheffield’s daughter, who also manages the Facebook page Habubrats, explained what makes this post particularly fascinating. What adds to the intrigue is that Colonel Hal Confer, who served as 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (SRW) Commander from 1970 to 1972, wrote this account. He was recommending Colonels Robert Spencer and Richard Sheffield for the Silver Star in recognition of their efforts during a dangerous mission conducted over Vladivostok. However, as Linda Sheffield Miller clarified, Confer found himself unable to proceed with the recommendation due to the highly classified nature of the sortie, which remained known to only a select few individuals.
Vladivostok, September 27, 1971, SR-71, #980
In 1971, Colonels Robert (Bob) Spencer and Richard (Butch) Sheffield flew one of the most important combat missions of the Cold War.
Background: The Soviet Union had developed and deployed throughout the USSR a radar and missile system called the SA-5. This system was designed to intercept and destroy overflying US bombers and fighters. The Soviet Union had gone to extreme measures to keep secret the parameters of the SA-5 radar frequencies.
The deployment of the SA-5 presented a considerable degradation to the US bomber forces’ ability to successfully strike the Soviet Union. Consequently, what became one of the National Intelligence Community’s highest priorities was obtaining the SA-5 radar profile.
The Soviets were very sensitive to any SR-71 flight activities on or near their borders; it was decided to use the SR-71 to bait the Soviets into exposing their SA-5 system. A special ELINT recorder was designed by NSA to be carried on the SR-71 to collect the SA-5 radar signal.
The mission tactics involved surprising the SA-5 missile site at the port city of Vladivostok. The SR-71 would make a direct approach as though intending to overfly the Soviet fortification. The mission would be flown late at night when the least experienced personnel would be manning the missile site. The SR-71 nighttime flight performance restrictions were lifted so the flight could be flown at max Mach (3.2) and turns made at a max bank of 35 degrees instead of the normal 25 degrees.
What the mission required was: (1) to fly the SR-71 faster at night than it had previously been flown; (2) to fly well within effective range of the Soviet Union’s most capable surface-to-air missile system without the SR-71 having either a missile warning or defense system available; and (3) to use a steeper bank angle than any prior night flights. Neither the speed nor the bank angle had ever been attempted before by anyone at night.
The potential results of the mission were so crucial to our wartime retaliatory capability that the order to execute the flight was initiated at the highest level of the National Command Authority (the President).
What followed was that the most senior and experienced crewmembers would be selected to fly the mission, and that was the crew of Colonels Spencer and Sheffield. During the mission, both the skill and experience of the crew were relied on heavily for its successful completion.
Photo by Unknown via Habubrats and George Chernilevsky via Wikipedia
