The skies may soon be echoing with the roar of a new hypersonic titan.

The SR-72, the proposed successor to the famed SR-71 Blackbird, is reportedly edging closer to taking flight, promising to signal a new era in aviation technology.

Recent sightings and industry murmurs hint that the SR-72, a project shrouded in secrecy and the brainchild of Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division, is making tangible progress.

At the SAE International Aerotech Congress and Exhibition in Fort Worth, Texas, glimpses were caught of what could be the “demonstrator vehicle” for the SR-72.

Aviation Week reported that an “unmanned subscale aircraft” was seen at the Air Force’s Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, where Skunk Works is headquartered.

This sighting aligns with Lockheed’s prior announcements, suggesting that their ambitious timeline for the SR-72 is on course.

Lockheed Martin’s executive vice president of aeronautics, Orlando Carvalho, didn’t shy away from the topic at the exhibition, asserting, “the United States is on the verge of a hypersonics revolution.”

Carvalho’s statement that “speed matters, especially when it comes to national security” underscores the strategic importance of this endeavor.

What sets the SR-72 apart from its predecessor and current aircraft is its anticipated ability to reach Mach 6.

The new hypersonic aircraft aims to occupy the void left by the retirement of the SR-71 in 1999.

The SR-71 was phased out due to the rise of spy satellites, improved enemy air defenses, and its significant operating expenses, which were estimated at around $200,000 per hour of operation as reported by the National Interest.

Unlike its predecessor, the SR-72 is being specifically developed with offensive capabilities, indicating that it is more than just a high-speed reconnaissance aircraft: it has the ability to swiftly engage and neutralize targets before returning to base.

Rob Weiss, then the executive vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs, noted that the technology behind the SR-72 is “mature” and that there are concerted efforts to deliver these capabilities to the warfighters.

This propulsion technology represents a breakthrough in the next-gen recon jet’s engines, which has been the subject of partnership between Lockheed Martin and Aerojet Rocketdyne since 2006.

Lockheed Martin Advanced Development Programs chief Rob Weiss stated, “The research on combined cycle is ongoing, marking a significant advancement in the air-breathing hypersonics propulsion domain. This extends beyond combined cycle technology to encompass various aspects of propulsion systems.”

Relevant articles:
– The SR-71 Blackbird’s ultra-secret successor may scream across the sky sooner than expected, Yahoo News UK
– Skunk Works Just Revealed New Details About The SR-71 Blackbird’s Ultra-Secret Successor, Task & Purpose
– Supersonic Speed Check – Tales from the SR-71 Blackbird, CADENAS PARTsolutions
– SR-72: A Successor to the SR-71 Blackbird Could Be Closer Than You Think, The National Interest