Follow U.S. Investment Immigration and U.S. News: Lockheed Martin's "Skunk Works" is dedicated to the development of the successor to the SR-71 "Blackbird" strategic reconnaissance aircraft. Reports indicate that this reconnaissance aircraft, codenamed SR-72, has added strike capabilities compared to its predecessor. Experts analyze that if this project is completed as planned by 2030, the SR-72 is expected to become the first hypersonic aircraft, with the potential to be modified into a hypersonic bomber.
Reports indicate that Lockheed Martin's "Skunk Works" has exclusively revealed details of an economically feasible hypersonic intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike platform plan, with a prototype expected to enter engineering development in 2018. This aircraft, codenamed SR-72, is designed to cruise at a speed of Mach 6, approximately twice that of its predecessor, the SR-71 "Blackbird" reconnaissance aircraft, and has optional target strike capabilities. Brad Leland, the manager of Lockheed Martin's hypersonic technology division, stated, "It is time to acknowledge the existence of the SR-72."
Reports indicate that under the guidance of the U.S. Air Force's long-term hypersonic roadmap, the SR-72 is primarily intended to fill the "rapid response gap" between "excess satellite resources" and subsonic intelligence collection platforms. "Some countries possess advanced air defense systems and have a thorough understanding of satellite activity patterns," which is one of the driving forces behind the development of this project. The article states that the survivability of this aircraft, flying at Mach 6 at high altitudes, even surpasses that of advanced subsonic or supersonic stealth aircraft and drones. Leland's team has been researching for seven years, and he mentioned that this aircraft utilizes existing materials to ensure its economic feasibility. Leland stated that this aircraft provides the military with the capability to change the nature of warfare, with the twin-engine prototype able to reach any target within one hour and costing $1 billion to develop over 5 to 6 years.
Challenges of Hypersonic Aircraft Engines
The engine is key to achieving hypersonic cruise. The engine consists of two parts: a conventional turbojet engine that helps accelerate to Mach 3, followed by the activation of a scramjet engine until reaching hypersonic cruise mode. Reports indicate that existing engines can accelerate the aircraft to Mach 2.5, while scramjet engines can operate above Mach 3, making the combination of the two a challenge. However, Lockheed Martin believes they have found the answer. Reports indicate that due to breakthroughs in propulsion systems, the U.S. Air Force has strongly requested a significant increase in the initial target speed of Mach 4, with recent requests aiming for a cruising speed of at least Mach 5, and the ability to take off from conventional runways.
The article states that the operational aircraft, specifically the twin-engine SR-72 drone, will exceed 100 feet in length. "Its size is closer to that of the SR-71, with the same range, but at double the speed of the latter." Reports indicate that the flight research vehicle (FRV) will begin engineering development in 2018 and is expected to fly in 2023, with the 2018 timeline determined by the planning schedule for hypersonic strike weapons. This timeline also aligns with the U.S. Air Force's hypersonic roadmap, which suggests developing a hypersonic strike weapon by 2020 and an intercontinental reconnaissance aircraft by 2030.
Potentially the First to Enter Service in the U.S. Military's "One Hour Global Strike" Arsenal
A Chinese military expert believes that the SR-72, X-37B, and X-51A are three subsystems within the U.S. global rapid strike equipment system, each with its own characteristics and developing in parallel. The X-37B is directed towards a reusable spaceplane for rapid entry and exit from space, while the X-51A is aimed at being a strike weapon platform in near space, essentially a hypersonic cruise missile. The SR-72 is primarily positioned for reconnaissance, with the potential for weaponization. This indicates that the U.S. is shaping its future hypersonic equipment development strategy, striving to occupy the technological high ground between near space and outer space. As there are currently no effective means to defend against these rapid strike weapons, the U.S. military may use them as a tool to counter so-called anti-access/area denial strategies.
Another Chinese expert believes that the SR-72 may be the first hypersonic aircraft to enter service, coming closer to the concept of a spaceplane than any aircraft to date. Once the SR-72 is successfully developed, it will not only serve as a reconnaissance aircraft but, through improvements and modifications, could become a future medium bomber to replace the long-range strike bomber currently under development, achieving the goal of striking anywhere in the world within one hour.