Origins

Crickmore tells us that the "HAVE Blue" project was born in the mid 1970's when the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or more commonly referred to as  DARPA, started to seek a manufacture for a new fighter aircraft that employed stealth technology. Lockheed wasn't even on DARPA's radar, because Lockheed was entering a period of financial turmoil due to their failed attempts at re-entering the commercial aviation market with their L-1011 Tri-Star.

Skunk Works, a division of Lockheed that specializes in advanced projects, was given permission by the US Central Intelligence Agency to talk with DARPA on the topic of stealth development, because of their upcoming A-12 and D-21 aircraft that would benefit greatly from the technology. Lockheed could be involved in the project but with no government financial aid.