A restoration project was recently completed on the A-12 OXCART aircraft on display at CIA Headquarters. The A-12 embodies a pioneering CIA achievement in aeronautical engineering. Over the course of two months, a team worked to repair damage from water, rust, and flaking paint to ensure CIA's A-12 continues to reflect and honor that achievement.

Article 128's Journey to Langley

In 2007, the U.S. Air Force transferred an A-12 to CIA for display. Known as Article 128, it was the eighth of 15 built and one of nine remaining to this day. It arrived at Headquarters aboard five wide-load trucks. The 39,000-pound airframe was then assembled and lifted onto pylons that extend almost 40 feet into the ground. The outdoor exhibit also commemorates two CIA A-12 pilots, Walt Ray and Jack Weeks, who were killed in the line of duty in 1967 and 1968, respectively.

Maintaining Article 128

Designed to meet extreme speed and altitude requirements, the A-12's titanium structure includes seams and gaps to allow for the expansion of the metal during flight. It was also designed to receive daily maintenance to ensure its readiness while it was still operational. This means that while on the ground, the aircraft is susceptible to water intrusion and leaks, and today, as a static outdoor display, Article 128 requires ongoing upkeep and inspection to address these issues.

In 2018, CIA completed a project to clean, repair, seal, and recoat the A-12. The interior of the aircraft was also cleaned and biological growth and insect nests were removed. However, in the years that followed, the aircraft began to show additional wear due to water damage, exposure to the elements, and overall issues with the paint adhesion to the titanium structure. CIA Museum staff observed and documented the conditions and collaborated with other museums, the Air Force, and Lockheed Martin to troubleshoot Article 128's paint adhesion issues and to identify potential solutions and methods for recoating. A representative from Lockheed Martin even suggested (both jokingly and seriously at the same time) that the paint needed to cure at Mach 3+ and 90,000 feet!

In the summer of 2025, CIA personnel traveled to the Intrepid Museum in New York City and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama to see two A-12s on display and to meet with curators to discuss their approach to recoating. The goal was to identify materials and recoating methods that would withstand the outdoor display conditions while also providing long-term preservation of the aircraft. The curators were able to explain their decisionmaking, limitations, and lessons learned to help inform CIA's approach.

Based on this research, CIA decided to use automotive paint to recoat the A-12 at Headquarters as recommended by the curators from Intrepid Museum, who used automotive paint to recoat the Concorde in their collection. Automative paint is formulated to provide excellent adhesion, to remain flexible to limit cracking, and to protect metal from corrosion. It also provides greater protection from harsh outdoor conditions, such as UV light and extreme weather.

In September 2025, the work on Article 128 officially began. The team repaired damage from water intrusion, removed the failed and bubbling coating to prepare the surface for painting, and inspected the cockpit and other openings for any damage. The project was finished on October 30th, just days before the 60th anniversary of the A-12 being declared operationally ready on November 12, 1965.

What to do about the tail numbers?

One new change to the A-12 is the return of the color of the tail number "06931" to red, which was the tail number color when Article 128 arrived at CIA in 2007. During the 2018 recoating project, the numbers were painted white to allow for potentially greater longevity and to limit the risk of fading. This sparked great debate about which color to use, especially because historical image searches showed examples of the tail number in both white and red.

To help inform a final decision, CIA Museum staff consulted with Thornton D. (TD) Barnes, an electronics engineer who supported and worked on the A-12 at Area 51. TD shared that red paint was used for the tail numbers when the planes flew operationally and that the tail numbers were changed every flight in case the planes were seen or detected in order to give the appearance of more A-12s in the fleet.

With this information, CIA Museum staff decided to go back to red for the numbers as a nod to the A-12's operational history and Article 128's installation to look like it is flying at altitude.

To learn more about the development and history of the A-12, check out the pages here and here. And don't miss our video showing a close-up of the A-12 and some of the restoration in action:

Warning: This video below may contain flickering or flashing scenes.