The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird is a retired long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation.[N 1] The SR-71 has several nicknames, including Blackbird and Habu.[1]The SR-71 was developed as a black project reconnaissance aircraft during the 1960s by Lockheed's Skunk Works division, initially as a bomber variant of the Lockheed A-12, requested by Curtis LeMay, before the program focused solely on reconnaissance.