SR-71 Blackbird
"The President announced in the opening that the US has evolved a new, long-range reconnaissance aircraft that will fly on 27 kms altitude at the velocity three times faster than the speed of voice. The test flights of the SR-71 will taken place in 1965" - from an article in that time. It was Johnson's announcement on a press conference.
This aircraft was the Blackbird. The Blackbird is absolutely a reconnaissance aircraft without armanent. Its most efficient defense is the speed and the shape that doesn't really reflect radar waves, so it flies by stealth. It flies three times faster than the speed of voice. At this velocity, the plane glows up, the conventional technics used in aircraft production don't work, since aluminium melts. Titan was used this time. Without refuelling, the aircraft's range is 2900 miles and it's accomplished in an hour and a half, so refuelling is usually needed in an action.
During its 24-year-operation, Blackbirds flew over the Soviet Union, other communist countries and Lybia making countless photos. Its use ended in the early 90s owing to its costly maintainance, meanwhile the role of aerial reconnaissance was taken over by spy satellites. In spite of this, in 1995 the Air Force reapplied the Blackbird.