CIA Facts

The CIA once spent $20 million on a cat equipped with gear to spy on the Soviets, but it was hit by a taxi.

During the Cold War, the CIA spent $20 million and five years on Project Acoustic Kitty. They surgically implanted a microphone in a cat's ear, a transmitter in its skull, and an antenna in its tail. The plan was to eavesdrop on Soviet diplomats. On its very first mission, the cat was released near the Soviet embassy and was immediately hit by a taxi. The CIA concluded the technique was impractical.

The SR-71 Blackbird was built from titanium the CIA secretly bought from the Soviet Union - the very nation it was made to spy on. The airframe was 92% titanium, and the vast majority came from Soviet ore. The panels were fitted loose on purpose: on the tarmac the plane dripped fuel, and only Mach-3 friction heat expanded them tight. JP-7 fuel also doubled as a coolant, absorbing heat from the skin.