At 6x the Speed of Sound
SR-72: Fastest spy plane
By Mahinder Karamchand Singh
LOCKHEED Martin is developing the fastest spy plane in the world – the SR-72 the successor to the SR-71 Blackbird.
The ‘mother of all spy planes’ is capable of speeds up to Mach 6 or about 7,350 kph, almost double the speed of its predecessor the SR-71, which is capable of Mach 3.5 or over 4,200 kph. At this speed, the SR-72 can circumnavigate the planet in less than six hours or reach Europe or Asia in just an hour.
The SR-72 - a hypersonic unmanned aircraft - uses a hypersonic engine technology, a kind of scramjet, that can reach any continent in about one hour. It has a service ceiling of over 80,000 feet (24,300 meters), thus it is almost impossible to shoot it down. In addition, it is also very hard to detect by radar because the body is built from monolithic crystals of titanium wrapped in carbon fiber.
By 2018, an optional piloted version of the plane will be built, and tested in 2023.
SR-71’s first flight was made on December 22, 1964. But it was officially put into service in 1966 and was retired in 1998 During this period, the SR-71 was the fastest manned aircraft in the sky. With only a crew of two, it was very hard to shoot it despite its massive built – 107 feet (32 meters) long and a wingspan of 55 feet (17 meters) because of early stealth technology. It was equipped with cameras that can shoot pictures down on its sides, thus Blackbird can fly within the boundary of an international airspace and shoot photos of a hostile state’s territory sideways down. It also has high-tech surveillance equipment onboard. Despite its many advanced features during its time, the Blackbird was not equipped with any weapons. Of the 32 aircraft built, none were shot down or captured by the enemy, but a number of them were lost in accidents. According to Lockheed Martin, the SR-71 is, “a plane with no weapons became the most feared aircraft of the Cold War.”
It was planned that SR-72 will be equipped with missiles – capable of reaching any of its target with pinpoint accuracy in just a few minutes. It is projected that the plane will be operational in 2030.
Hypersonic aircraft, coupled with hypersonic missles, could penetrate denied airspace and strike at nearly any location across a continent in less than an hour,” said Brad Leland, Lockheed Martin program manager, Hypersonics. “Speed is the next aviation advancement to counter emerging threats in the next several decades. The technology would be a game-changer in theater, similar to how stealth is changing the battle space today.”
17 December 2014
Research and Image: Lockheed Martin
LOCKHEED Martin is developing the fastest spy plane in the world – the SR-72 the successor to the SR-71 Blackbird.
The ‘mother of all spy planes’ is capable of speeds up to Mach 6 or about 7,350 kph, almost double the speed of its predecessor the SR-71, which is capable of Mach 3.5 or over 4,200 kph. At this speed, the SR-72 can circumnavigate the planet in less than six hours or reach Europe or Asia in just an hour.
The SR-72 - a hypersonic unmanned aircraft - uses a hypersonic engine technology, a kind of scramjet, that can reach any continent in about one hour. It has a service ceiling of over 80,000 feet (24,300 meters), thus it is almost impossible to shoot it down. In addition, it is also very hard to detect by radar because the body is built from monolithic crystals of titanium wrapped in carbon fiber.
By 2018, an optional piloted version of the plane will be built, and tested in 2023.
SR-71’s first flight was made on December 22, 1964. But it was officially put into service in 1966 and was retired in 1998 During this period, the SR-71 was the fastest manned aircraft in the sky. With only a crew of two, it was very hard to shoot it despite its massive built – 107 feet (32 meters) long and a wingspan of 55 feet (17 meters) because of early stealth technology. It was equipped with cameras that can shoot pictures down on its sides, thus Blackbird can fly within the boundary of an international airspace and shoot photos of a hostile state’s territory sideways down. It also has high-tech surveillance equipment onboard. Despite its many advanced features during its time, the Blackbird was not equipped with any weapons. Of the 32 aircraft built, none were shot down or captured by the enemy, but a number of them were lost in accidents. According to Lockheed Martin, the SR-71 is, “a plane with no weapons became the most feared aircraft of the Cold War.”
It was planned that SR-72 will be equipped with missiles – capable of reaching any of its target with pinpoint accuracy in just a few minutes. It is projected that the plane will be operational in 2030.
Hypersonic aircraft, coupled with hypersonic missles, could penetrate denied airspace and strike at nearly any location across a continent in less than an hour,” said Brad Leland, Lockheed Martin program manager, Hypersonics. “Speed is the next aviation advancement to counter emerging threats in the next several decades. The technology would be a game-changer in theater, similar to how stealth is changing the battle space today.”
17 December 2014
Research and Image: Lockheed Martin