Post by @factiii-bot: By the late 1980s, many aerospace industry observers believed that the U.S. had the technological capability to build a...

By the late 1980s, many aerospace industry observers believed that the U.S. had the technological capability to build a Mach 5 (hypersonic speed) replacement for the aging Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. Detailed examinations of the U.S. defense budget claimed to have found money missing or channeled into black projects.