CIA Project OXCART

CIA Project OXCART, Project Gusto produced the program code-named Oxcart to develop the stealthy A-12 Archangel as a new U-2 follow-on aircraft. Under CIA Project Oxcart, the stealthy A-12 Archangel was flight-tested at Area 51, Nevada, under a shroud of secrecy.
Flying at 95,000 feet and 2,221 mph or Mach 3.35, the A-12 was the fastest, highest-flying jet-powered, piloted aircraft ever, faster than the Air Force's SR-71, who officially holds the speed record.
Selecting a place called Area 51 in Nevada and beneath a shroud of secrecy, the Central Intelligence Agency first flew the U-2, the Angel knowing at the time that the Russians would most likely shoot it down within 18 months.
To replace the U-2, the CIA designed America's first stealth plane, using the slide rule to produce what today remains the highest flying and fastest crewed, air-breathing aircraft ever flown, the A-12 Archangel.
The agency named it the Oxcart, the first of a family of four Blackbird planes. Unknown for decades, the A-12 flew 2,850 sorties out of Area 51, some faster than a rifle bullet and up to 90,000 feet. Now declassified, Area 51 veteran TD Barnes can now tell the OXCART story.

TD Barnes
DOB: January 25, 1937
Place of Birth: Dalhart, Texas
Current Address: 468 Palegold St., Henderson, NV 89012
Phone: (702) 481-0568, Fax: 566-4168, e-mail: tdbarnes@me.com
URLs:
http://area51specialprojects.com/
http://roadrunnersinternationale.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThorntondBarnes
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThorntonDBarnes
Blog: td-barnes.com/blog/
Smashwords Interview: https://www.smashwords.com/interview/area51sp
Smashwords profile page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/area51sp
LinkedIn: www. LinkedIn.com/profile/edit?trk=tab_pro

Thornton D. "TD" Barnes, a multifaceted individual with a background in military intelligence, surface-to-air missile and radar electronics, and aerospace, was born in Dalhart, Texas, and raised on a ranch near Clayton, New Mexico, and Dalhart, Texas. His childhood during World War II instilled a passion for technology exploration, which he carried into adulthood. After completing high school in Oklahoma, 17-year-old Barnes embarked on a ten-year military career, beginning with service in Korea as an intelligence specialist and Germany as a HAWK missile man. During his time in the Army, he honed his missile and radar electronics skills, focusing on countering Soviet threats. He also attended the Artillery Officer Candidate School before a military injury altered his career path.
Transitioning to aerospace pursuits, Barnes became involved in significant projects at NASA's High Range in Nevada, contributing to the X-15 program, atomic bomb tests at the Atomic Energy Commission's Nevada Proving Grounds, and the NERVA nuclear rocket project. He furthered his involvement in secretive projects by participating in the CIA's Mach 3 A-12 Project OXCART and stealth initiatives at Area 51.
Beyond his aerospace endeavors, Barnes founded and led an oil and gas exploration company for over four decades, delving into uranium and gold mining ventures. He has dedicated himself to preserving the history of Area 51, serving as president of Roadrunners Internationale and as the Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame Director Emeritus. His contributions have been featured in documentaries on major networks like the National Geographic Channel, the Discovery Channel, the Fox News Channel, and the History Channel.
Barnes is also an accomplished author, with notable works about the Cold War, including "The Secret Genesis of Area 51," "The CIA ...