National Security Journal on MSN

At Mach 3.1 and 70,000 feet, the XB-70 Valkyrie bomber could outrun every Russian interceptor — but the US cancelled it

In the late 1950s, the U.S. spent $800 million building a Mach 3.1 strategic bomber that could cruise above 70,000 feet and outrun every Soviet interceptor. The North American XB-70 Valkyrie used six ...
National Security Journal on MSNOpinion

Lockheed YF-12A travelled at Mach 3.2 and 80,000 feet but ended up being made obsolete thanks to Russian missiles

Lockheed’s YF-12A was a Mach 3.2 Cold War interceptor born from the same Skunk Works lineage that produced the A-12 and SR-71 ...

A Lockheed YF-12A flying at Mach 3.2 and 75,000 feet fired a missile that struck a target just 500 feet above the ground, a demonstration that still sounds unreal until …

A Mach 3 YF-12A interceptor once hit a low-flying target in a historic missile test. See why speed and thermal tech still ...
Aviation Week

Boeing Withdraws Near-Mach 3 Claim For F-15

A Boeing F-15 is still quite fast, but not nearly Mach 3, the company’s program manager said on Feb. 23, correcting a previous statement. “Mach 2.497 is what we can get out of the Eagle jet and that’s ...
The National Interest

F-15EX Eagle II Fighter Can’t Hit Mach 3 Afterall

Summary: Boeing’s F-15EX Eagle II, boasting remarkable aerodynamic efficiency and powered by twin GE F110-GE-229 engines, initially claimed to reach speeds nearing Mach 3. However, Boeing program ...
The National Interest

The Tragic Fate of the X-2, the First Aircraft to Reach Mach 3

Numeric designation suggests a lot, and the Bell X-1 was indeed a special aircraft. Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the X-1, and the plane ushered in the modern age of supersonic flight. The X ...