SR-72: US secret hypersonic jet to allegedly break sound barrier in 2025

A fine pedigree

The SR-72 is widely considered the natural successor of the SR-71 “Blackbird,” which set speed records in 1974 and was retired by the USAF in 1998 as the fastest manned aircraft. The SR-72 is allegedly designed to be unmanned, hypersonic, and reusable. Its primary functions will likely be intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) activities.

It is also believed that the SR-72 will support Lockheed Martin’s new High-Speed Strike Weapon (HSSW), enhancing its striking ability. The aircraft’s combat capabilities make it ideal for striking targets in dangerous environments where manned aircraft would be too slow and risky. According to reports, the new weapon system can fire hypersonic weapons faster than any other weapon and instantly achieve hypersonic speeds. Moreover, it can maintain these speeds for longer periods.

The SR-72 is reported to be similar to its predecessor, the SR-71, at over 100 feet (30 meters) long. The aircraft is set to enter service by 2030, following the USAF’s hypersonic roadmap for developing a hypersonic strike weapon by 2020. Lockheed Martin has engaged in talks with government officials about the concept but has not secured funding for the demonstrator or engine at its unveiling.

Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs are developing the S-72, or “Skunk Works.” Reportedly designed to operate without a human pilot, this plane has the potential to revolutionize the way the military uses aircraft. The high speed of over 4,000mph is important to the military as it enables them to reach their destination very quickly. For example, with this speed, they can travel from the U.S. to Europe in just an hour and a half.

Jet engine technology has significantly improved almost 60 years after the SR-71 was developed. However, to survive on the modern battlefield, a more advanced form of propulsion is required to achieve the necessary speeds that the SR-72 will achieve, the National Interest reports. To evade modern air defenses, the SR-72 aircraft must be capable of reaching hypersonic speeds, and only rocket-powered aircraft and spacecraft, or single-use technology demonstrators, have achieved these speeds so far.

Conventional turbojet and turbofan engines can provide enough power to an aircraft during takeoff and landing at subsonic speeds. However, they cannot sustain hypersonic speeds. While there are jet engines that can power an aircraft at hypersonic speeds, they cannot be used during takeoff and landing. To this end, the SR-72 requires an engine that can do both.

New engine for a new era

The SR-72 program is focused on developing a fully reusable turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) hypersonic propulsion system. This propulsion system is a kind of air-breathing jet engine that combines the turbofan engines used in many modern tactical aircraft with a supersonic combustion ramjet (also known as a scramjet) that is capable of achieving and sustaining speeds above Mach 5 and even potentially exceeding Mach 10. “