On November 16th, 1982, Lockheed presented the SR-71 I, armed with Aim-120 air-to-air missiles. Since the Aim-120 had a built-in radar transmitter and was a "fire and forget" missile, it was chosen over the Aim-7 Sparrow. The SR-71 I would be outfitted with the F/A-18 Hornet's AN/APG-65 radar, which has a spectrum of detection of 115 miles, and a tracking radius of 92 miles, in order to support the new AIM-120s. For the SR-71 I's bays, the AIM-120 missiles would have redesigned fins. A long-range and fast interceptor against the newest generation of Soviet AWACS, such as the Beriev A-50 Mainstay, was the SR-71 I's intended duty. The Tu-160 Blackjack bombers were to be intercepted as an additional duty. Please take note that Lockheed's proposal was to modify seven existing SR-71 airframes rather than manufacture new ones. They would be deployed at Loring Air Force Base in northeastern Maine. The SR-71 I could take off from this location, fly to Soviet targets in Scandinavia, and land in either Greenland or England for recovery.

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