Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division is renowned for its advanced aviation technology, particularly the iconic SR-71 Blackbird. This aircraft has set unmatched records in both speed and altitude that have stood for decades.
Now, whispers turn to roars as the aerospace titan is rumored to be ushering a new era of aerial supremacy with the potential successor to the SR-71, the enigmatic SR-72—a hypersonic reconnaissance and strike aircraft that could redefine military aviation.
Recent hints suggest that the Skunk Works team may have already advanced the SR-72’s development to the extent of delivering a new spy plane to the United States Air Force, sparking a surge in speculation and excitement within defense and aerospace circles. This is a program that once received sporadic media attention and is now shrouded in secrecy.
The SR-72, often dubbed “Son of Blackbird,” aims to inherit the Mach 3+ legacy of its predecessor but push beyond, seeking to achieve hypersonic speeds—that is, velocities exceeding Mach 5.
If recent remarks by Vago Muradian, editor-in-chief of Defense & Aerospace Report, are any indication, the aircraft may already be in the possession of the Air Force. “There are articles that have already been delivered, but there have been challenges with that program,” Muradian noted, hinting at the program’s complexity and ambition.
The SR-72’s development has been associated with a turbine-based combined-cycle (TBCC) hypersonic propulsion system. This sophisticated engine design melds conventional turbojet or turbofan technology with a supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) to achieve the necessary hypersonic speeds for operation in contemporary threat environments.
The need for such advanced propulsion is underscored by the fact that the highest speeds achieved by traditional jet engines are capped at around Mach 3, and ramjets take over beyond this point.
“We couldn’t have made the engine itself—it would have melted down into slag if we had tried to produce it five years ago,” said Jack O’Banion, Lockheed Martin’s Vice President of Strategy and Customer Requirements, in 2018. “But now, we can digitally print that engine with an incredibly sophisticated cooling system integral into the material of the engine itself, and have that engine survive for multiple firings for routine operation.”
Furthermore, Lockheed has insinuated through promotional material for the 2022 movie “Top Gun: Maverick” that the capabilities of the SR-72-like fictional Darkstar aircraft could be more than just cinematic fantasy.
In one tweet, Lockheed referenced the SR-71 Blackbird as “the fastest acknowledged crewed air-breathing jet aircraft,” suggesting the existence of unacknowledged faster aircraft—a veiled nod to the SR-72, perhaps.
Despite the progress that has been made, with a prototype expected to fly by 2025, the SR-72’s development and production timelines remain shrouded in mystery.
With the aircraft potentially entering service in the 2030s, it stands to revolutionize high-speed military reconnaissance and precision strike capabilities, offering unprecedented response times and survivability in high-threat environments.
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Relevant articles:
– SR-72? Hints of a new Skunk Works spy plane reignite rumors of a Blackbird successor, Sandboxx, Nov 20, 2023
– The SR-72 timeline: From initial design to ‘Top Gun’s’ Darkstar, Sandboxx, Nov 30, 2023
– Lockheed Martin’s Mysterious SR-72 Could Enter Service in the 2030s, The National Interest, Dec 3, 2021
– Does Lockheed Martin’s stealthy SR-72 Darkstar spy plane have a cameo in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’?, Space.com, Apr 28, 2022