NEW SECRET SUPER-JET REVEALED BY JOHNSON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP67B00446R000500090013-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 7, 2004
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: March 1, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2004/02/04: CIA-RDP67B00446R000500090013-4
WASNIINGTON STAR
MAR 1 1964
A- ?s Spee
Said to 'Top
All Othevs
By GARNETT D. HORNER
Star Staff writer
States has secret- .
was ly and surnc i to lly developed a
This is the supersecret A-11 jet interceptor, the existence of which rf
revealed by President Johnson yesterday. He said it far exceeds the per. new et y plane whose
exceeds at
formance of any aircraft in use today.-AP Wirephoto. of any ac l er gf aircraft in t he
world today," P e :;uen John-
son announced ye:;terday,
The President t,'d . s first
"lives" televised p,-css confer-
ence that the new plane, known
as the A-11, has been tested in
sustained flight at more than 2,-
000 miles an hour, flying over
70,000 feet high. It has a long
range of "thousands of miles."
Beyond . that, the President.
and other Government officials
would not go in disclosing de-
tails of the performance of the
A-11.
Mr. Johnson said. several of
the advanced experimental jet
aircraft are now being flight-
!tested at Edwards Air Force
Base in California to determine
their capability as long-range
inerceptors.
Sidesteps Question
A Government official giving
newsmen some slight additional
background on the A-11 after
.the President's press conference
was asked if it was intended to
try to use the plane to intercept
missiles as well as bombers. He
refused to say.
This official did say, however,
that it was his information that
i the plane was not designed as
a bomber.
Cantimed
Approved For Release 2004/02/04: CIA-RDP67B00446R000500090013-4
 Approved For Release 2004/02/04: CIA-RDP67B00446R000500090013-4
T h e Government briefing
official noted, however, that the
plane also has great potential
reconnair~sance capability.
Presi:'.cnt Johnson disclosed
that the A-11 has an air-to-air
missile system.
l~uvelopment of a supersonic
commercial transport aircraft He said development of the A- Officials said money wa3
.6li be greatly assisted by thel ii has been made possible by !appropriated for the A-11 pro-
lessons learned from developing!; major advances in aircraft gram and it was managed in
;3e A-11 to fly at more than -jtechnology of great significanceithe normal manner of classified
the metallurgy and fabrication
of titanium metal.' which is
required for the high tempera-
tures experienced by aircraft
traveling at more than three
tunes the speed of sound."
A Government official pointed
out, howev'e" , that it should be
recognized` that the A-li mili-
tary plane could not be convert-
ed to -r transport and that a
major; independent development
.program still is necessary to
produce a supersonic transport.
- The President told his press
conference that arrangements
are being made to make all the
important technical develop-
in e n t s available under ap-
propriate safeguards to private
companies directly engaged in
the program to develop a su-
personic transport.
Gives Ills Reasons
In fact, the President said, he
was disclosing the existence of
the hitherto secret A-11 in order
to permit "orderly exploitation
of this advanced technology in
our military and commercial
planes."
He explained that one of., the
most important technological
achievements in the A-1 t proj-
ect has been "the ma ;tery of
i.h:~ President said.
to both military and commer-
cial applications. Ile said these
advances will facilitate "the
achievement of a number if
important military and com-
mercial requirements."
The President disclosed that
the A-11 project was first start-
ed in 1959. He said appropriate
members of the Senate and
House have been kept fully
informed on the program.
Disclosure of the A-11 project
raised some questions about
why the Air Force has been
pressing for funds to develop an
improved manned interceptor
plane for which it was said the
funds had been held back by
the Pentagon high command,
when the Air Force top brass ob-
viously knew all about the A-11.
Rigid Security Used
The only answer obtained
from a high Government source
was that the performance of the
A-11 would have to be taken
into account in assessing any
new aircraft.
There was some speculation
that the Air Force might have
made proposals for new plane
programs to' be debated in
Congress as' part of the "cover"
to maintain secrecy about the
A-il project.
projects, with members of the
appropriate congressional
committees being kept informed
u n d e r the highest possible
security.
There was no answer as to
when the President intends to
ask the Congress for funds to
put the plane into quantity
production.
Mr. Johnson said the A-11 is
manufactured by the Lockheed
Aircraft Corp. at Burbank,
Calif. Its engine, the J-58, was
designed and built by the Pratt
and Whitney Aircraft Division,
United Aircraft Corp. The ex-
perimental fire control and air-
to-air missile system for the A-
ll was developed by the Hughes
Aircraft Co.
Remains Classified
Officials said that Lockheed
has developed the A-11. as a
special project, entirely segre-
gated from its transport divi-
sion. They emphasized that all
aircraft manufacturers have
been briefed on the special
design features of the A-11
which may have application to
supersonic transport. They
a d d e d that relevant data
learned from the A-11 program
will continue to be made avail
able to competing firms.
Report Is Scheduled .
importance of these develop-; The President said he will
the President said, "the de-
tailed performance of the A-i1
will remain strictly classified
and all individuals associated
with the program have -been
directed to refrain from making
any further disclosure."
T h e Government official
briefing reporters later would
not even say whether the A-11
has more than one jet engine or
:how many men are in its crew.
In connection with the com-
morcial supersonic transport
development p r o g r a in, the
question arose as to whether
Lockheed has achieved any
advantage over other manufac-
turers because of its experience
with the A-11.
MAR 1 1964
the supersonic transport pro-
gram, making a number of
recommendations dealing with
the financing and management
of the program.
This report has been analyzed
by Government officials con-
icerned and on the basis of that
analysis,, a decision will be
made on how the Government
will proceed, the President said.
The major issues involve
what proportion of the funds for
development of a supersonic
transport shall be put up by e
Government and how much Y
the industry, which is reported
demanding a 90 per cent Gov-
ernment contribution.