Operation El Dorado Canyon, a spate of air strikes against Libya, had been launched on April 14, 1986, by the United States in retaliation for the bombing of a Berlin discothèque that catered to American military personnel. Making up the strike group were 18 USAF F-111s, with support from U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps aircraft. Two days later, an SR-71 Blackbird flown by Maj. Brian Shul including a Reconnaissance Systems Officer, Maj. Walter Watson, penetrated Libyan airspace at blistering 2,125 mph to perform a bomb damage assessment.
As Shul recounts in his book “Sled Driver,” the mission took a dramatic turn when they started receiving missile launch signals from Libyan surface-to-air missile sites. “Qaddafi had established a ‘line of death,’ swearing to shoot down any intruder that crossed the boundary,” Shul wrote. As they approached their final turn over the desert, Watson informed Shul of the missile launch signals. Shul quickly increased their speed, betting their lives on the SR-71’s performance.
The SR-71 was designed to outrun threats rather than engage, thanks to its incredible ability for speed and altitude. Its cruise capability at Mach 3.2 and an altitude of up to 85,000 feet gave it an unbeatable head start against any missile threats. But on this mission, Shul pushed the Blackbird beyond the official limits. “The plane was flying a mile every 1.6 seconds, well above our Mach 3.2 limit. It was the fastest we would ever fly,” Shul noted.
Tim Yarrow, an Electrical Engineer at Lockheed’s Skunk Works from 1974-1994, corroborated Shul’s account, saying that while the SR-71’s top speed was officially Mach 3.2, it could go faster. “Shul’s narrative of flight at or above Mach 3.5 is so far the most detailed evidence available of SR-71 top speeds,” Yarrow said. He explained how the SR-71’s Pratt & Whitney J58 engines operated more efficiently at higher speeds, functioning more like ramjets than turbojets.
As the Blackbird screamed past Tripoli, its speed continued to rise, laying down a parting sonic boom. “We are a bullet now – except faster,” Shul described. The aircraft’s performance was flawless, allowing them to complete their mission and return safely to RAF Mildenhall. “The TDI now shows us Mach numbers, not only new to our experience but flat-out scary,” Shul recalled.
In the process, during that mission, the SR-71 outrun Gaddafi’s missiles to prove that its speed was unmatched and also act as a tribute to excellence in engineering. “The cooler outside temperatures have awakened the spirit born into her years ago, when men dedicated to excellence took the time and care to build her well,” Shul reflected. That mission remains an eternal tribute to the Blackbird’s extraordinary capabilities and the caliber of its pilots.