Lockheed Martin Reveals SR-72, the SR-71 Successor

Jeff Head

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Zool said:
I love the technology - any observer of Military hardware around the world gets a thrill when a new 'toy' has been revealed. It really is interesting how we all get that feeling... something deep in the genetic code I suppose.

My only concern is where this progressively takes us. As a sub-orbital/orbital system it is able to achieve the level of speed and global mobility intended. All well and good in the realm of reconnaissance. But once armed (covertly or overtly) these types of craft cancel out existing treaties and understandings on the peaceful use of space, and completely change the nature of terrestrial warfare.

In fact a Surface Navy, other than for transport, would be rendered obsolete. You would need only an Army to control territory and CAS Aircraft to provide.
Click to expand...
One thing I have learned over the last 57 years is that any technology you develop, can and will be countered.

An aircraft like this will not render navies obsolete. With the TBM capabilities already in existance and the coming laser and rail gun technologies, they will be used to protect surface vessels, and the submarines will keep right on operating...getting more and more stealthy and quiet.

These aircraft will not be space capable. Mach 6 is nowhere close to orbital velocity...it is just a very fast aircraft, with strong stealth characteristics, operating at very high altitude. But as I say, with lasers and rail guns coming, they will be able to reach them there, even if current missiles have a hard time.
 
Last edited:
Zool

Zool

Junior Member
Jeff Head said:
One thing I have learned over the last 57 years is that any technology you develop, can and will be countered.

An aircraft like this will not render navies obsolete. With the TBM capabilities already in existance and the coming laser and rail gun technologies, they will be used to protect surface vessels, and the submarines will keep right on operating...getting more and more stealthy and quiet.

These aircraft will not be space capable. Mach 6 is nowhere close to orbital velocity...it is just a very fast aircraft, with strong stealth characteristics, operating at very high altitude. But as I say, with lasers and rail guns coming, they will be able to reach them there, even if current missiles ave a hard time.
Click to expand...

As I said, this is where we are progressively headed. If you study the X series of craft and the DARPA HTV programs there is little doubt. The armed platforms will be held secret as best possible for the treaty reasons I noted.

Position in battle can confer great advantage. None greater than an elevated position or 'The High Ground' as demonstrated throughout our history of warfare. Air Power/Dominance is the current iteration of this concept. Sub-orbital/Orbital is the next field, make no mistake.

Surface Fleets will be rendered obsolete and for this reason:
Demonstrate to me how a ship will detect, track and engage a small profile (size of your fist or smaller), high density, magnetically propelled object launched from sub-orbit/orbit moving at high ballistic speeds. The kinetic damage from one of these type of projectile would be enormous. Now what about 4 of these launched against each ship in quick succession. Even fired rapidly one after the other, the speed at which the launch platform is moving would significantly change the approach vector of each projectile, so a CIWS form of defence would have little effect, assuming projectile tracking could be achieved. SAM systems are out for obvious reasons.

Instantaneous Strike is the future and IMHO Naval Surface Combatants & Carriers will not survive it.

Cheers,
Zool
 
Jeff Head

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Zool said:
If you study the X series of craft and the DARPA HTV programs there is little doubt.

Demonstrate to me how a ship will detect, track and engage a small profile (size of your fist or smaller), high density, magnetically propelled object launched from sub-orbit/orbit moving at high ballistic speeds. The speed at which the launch platform is moving would significantly change the approach vector of each projectile, so a CIWS form of defence would have little effect, assuming projectile tracking could be achieved. SAM systems are out for obvious reasons.

Instantaneous Strike is the future and IMHO Naval Surface Combatants & Carriers will not survive it.

Zool
Click to expand...
I am absolutely familiar with both current space based military capabilities, and those postulated for the next 100 years.

And, despite your thoughts to the contrary, because of its high speed and composition, and because such platforms would be known and tracked themselves, engaging them themselves with similar rail gun projectiles and laser technology will also become possible.

But what you are speaking of lies in a future that is most probably over 40 or 50 years in the future. Not because it cannot be done, but because no one dares do it at this point. The ability to retaliate massively itself has not been undone...and any attempt at this point to do so will be met with the use of those weapons before they are lost.

As soon as one nation began putting in place such a system, or demostrated something like what you propose with a kinetic energy weapon from space, the retaliation would be massive, destroying their space-based assets, and their capability to launch new ones.

But, ultimately, yes, space based weaponry and the militarization fo space will render surface combatants largely obsolete. But you and I will most probably not live to see that day.

And beyond that, this entire discussion is significantly off topic.

You are postulating on what may develop many years from now. I have already demonstrated to you that the speed of this particular proposal is nothing approaching orbital spped, and therefore the system itself will not be an orbital platform built to accomplish what you are proposing. So let's leave that type of discussion off of this thread.

Start another thread for that if you would like to go into detail. This thread is for the discussion of the SR-72 and its capabilities.

Thanks.
 
Jeff Head

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Another good article about the SR-72 and where it fits into the US military's thinking.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!



SR-72.jpg

​

US Naval Institute said:
Could Lockheed Martin Skunk Works’ SR-72 hypersonic concept design fill the Pentagon’s need for a penetrating intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft? The answer could be yes.

Lockheed revealed the Mach 6 capable concept design to trade-publication Aviation Week on Friday.

However images of the aircraft were seen on Flightglobal’s DEW Line blog in July, when the company released a video celebrating the Skunk Works’ achievements over the past several decades.
As impressive as the SR-72 concept is, one of the questions that immediately arise is: Does the Department of Defense have a requirement for this kind of aircraft?

There too, the answer could be yes.

Earlier this year in July, U.S. Strategic Command chief Gen. Robert Kehler told reporters that the US military needs a penetrating ISR asset.

“I am personally of the belief that we will need some kind of penetrating air ISR,” Kehler had told the Defense Writers Group in Washington, D.C. “What that looks like, and how much of it and the nature of it, remains to be seen.”

The SR-72, which is really many ways a rehash of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Blackswift demonstrator program, could potentially fit the bill.

If the SR-72, which is envisioned to cruise at speeds above Mach 6, could eventually be developed into an operational aircraft, it would be able to overfly areas that are all but off-limits to even a supersonic stealth aircraft.

According to Aviation Week, “the SR-72 is designed to fill what are perceived by defense planners as growing gaps in coverage of fast-reaction intelligence by the plethora of satellites, subsonic manned and unmanned platforms meant to replace the SR-71.”

That means that should the Pentagon—in this case the U.S. Air Force—somehow manage to find the money to pay for the SR-72, Kehler could have his penetrating ISR platform.

That platform could then be used to gather ISR data from deep inside hostile territory with all but impunity while relaying that data back to the analysts back at a Distributed Common Ground System station. It could also hit heavily defended targets before they have any chance to react. If the concept works, it could play an integral role in the Defense Department’s Air Sea Battle concept.
Click to expand...
 
Broccoli

Broccoli

Senior Member
Re: US may bring back SR-71

Lezt said:
We are talking about China here, If Chinese ASAT can hit a satellite; smaller, flying faster and higher than the SR71 could; why not an SR71?
Click to expand...

Satellites are flying in fixed orbits and have rather limited ability maneuver, that's one reason why people in Area 51 were able to avoid showing their latest toys like the SR-71 to Soviets... they knew exactly when Soviet satellites were flying above the area.

Reconnaissance satellites are predictable since countries like China, Russia, and USA knows their orbits.
 
Broccoli

Broccoli

Senior Member
People should remember that A-12 Oxcart was also shown to the public and it was good way to "hide it", but what they are hiding this time? I also believe that this thing "Aurora" has been operational for some now.
[video=youtube;Jq5Ahat8nro]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq5Ahat8nro[/video]

Here is good documentary about the "black world" by Nick Cook.
[video=youtube;awP9HNPCv40]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awP9HNPCv40[/video]

In this book of his there is a picture of the Convair "kingfish" wind tunnel model and it looks almost identical to this new SR-72.... guess what... it was supposed to be mach 6 plane too. Chief designer of Convair Bob Widmer (seen in that documentary) did go to work for Lockheed Martin later. 1+1 = ?
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!



Btw, the Kingfish pictures seen in online looks nothing like the picture in Nick's book what is almost identical to "Aurora" and SR-72 concept art.
 
Last edited:
N

no_name

Colonel
Re: US may bring back SR-71

Broccoli said:
Satellites are flying in fixed orbits and have rather limited ability maneuver, that's one reason why people in Area 51 were able to avoid showing their latest toys like the SR-71 to Soviets... they knew exactly when Soviet satellites were flying above the area.

Reconnaissance satellites are predictable since countries like China, Russia, and USA knows their orbits.
Click to expand...

I think the newer satellites have some limited abilities to change orbits. But still not as flexible as overhead flights.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top