Long before the SR-71 stunned the world, the A-12 was flying secret missions at Mach 3—under CIA command. Born in Skunk Works and hidden from the public, this jet was the real cutting edge of Cold War ...

They taunted and toyed with the MiG-25s sent up to intercept them, scooting up to altitudes the Soviet planes could not reach, and circling leisurely above them or dashing off at speeds the Russians ...