America Did Not Have Enough High-Grade Titanium to Build the USAF SR-71 Blackbird, So the CIA Bought It From the Soviet Union Through Shell Companies in Neutral Countries. The Airframe Was 85 to 90 Percent Titanium, and Much of the Ore Came

Automatically curated summary from 19FortyFive.

To survive friction heat exceeding 500 degrees Fahrenheit at Mach 3.2, the USAF SR-71 Blackbird required an airframe composed of 85 to 90 percent B-120 beta titanium alloy. Lacking sufficient domestic high-grade ore, the CIA covertly procured raw Soviet titanium—much of it originating in Soviet Ukraine—using front companies in neutral countries. The ore was refined in the United States by Titanium Metals Corporation. Lockheed's Skunk Works overcame complex metallurgical hurdles to build 32 jets costing $34 million each, before high operational expenses eventually drove the fleet's retirement.

Context and limitations

The narrative regarding the covert procurement network relies heavily on Ben Rich's memoir rather than a complete declassified paper trail. Specific details, such as a front company posing as a pizza oven manufacturer, remain undocumented anecdotes.