This is Kelly Johnson, Vice President in charge of the Advanced Development Project at Lockheed.

I wish to present final manufacturing stages of Lockheed's D-21 pilotless aircraft

in the first flight of the joint MD21 configuration.

On December 15, 1964, the first D-21 arrived at the Desert Test facility.

Checkouts complete, the first D-21 was then moved into position for attachment to the launching

aircraft's dorsal pylon.

The destruct unit was placed within the D-21's forward section. Approaching the predetermined release point,

the launch control officer turned on the fuel and ignited the engine.

All lights indicated mission go readiness. The launch switch was activated. The drone separated and climbed out to the successful program flight. program flight.... During the Cold War era, the SR-71 was responsible for capturing imagery, most notably of Russia.

And during that time window, there were agreements being put in place.

In particular, manned overflight became limited to this day.

You have to follow the treaties associated with manned overflight

and how you can go collect imagery or intelligence information from another sovereign country.

We were no longer allowed to fly the SR-71 over our adversaries as a manned asset.

And so they came up with the D-21, which was a drone.

It was launched off the back of basically an SR-71.

It was called M12, mothership.

And so the same imagery collection capabilities that the SR-71 was conducting,

essentially the D-21 was taking on that role without the pilot in the loop.

And so they would send the D-21 into the mission area,

gathered the information.

It would return back to a location where the vehicle itself,

...