Recent hints that Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division may have already delivered an advanced new spy plane to the United States Air Force have prompted a resurgence in speculation about a secretive aircraft known to many as the SR-72.
This program was once not only publicly disclosed, but being developed under sporadic bouts of media attention and general fanfare, that is, until March of 2018 when the effort suddenly fell silent... At least, almost silent.
Here's the true and untold story of Lockheed Martin's legendary hypersonic spy plane, the SR-72.
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Citations:
https://defaeroreport.com/2023/11/02/defense-aerospace-air-power-podcast-ep40-ask-dr-science/
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/secret-skunk-works-spy-drone-delivered-to-air-force-report
https://www.sandboxx.us/news/spy-satellites-arent-nearly-as-all-seeing-as-you-think
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1990/03/07/sr-71-plane-roars-into-retirement/e15a720e-add5-4eca-91a0-4916b3389b35/
https://www.nbcnews.com/sciencemain/son-blackbird-meet-sr-72-lockheeds-planned-new-hypersonic-spy-8c11528419
https://web.archive.org/web/20150901083648/http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/features/2015/sr-72.html
https://news.usni.org/2013/11/05/lockheed-martin-sr-72-plane-paper
https://web.archive.org/web/20150630195346/http://lockheedmartin.com/us/news/features/2015/sr-72.html
http://aviationweek.com/defense/skunk-works-hints-sr-72-demonstrator-progress
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a26796/hypersonic-sr-72-aircraft/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-16/america-s-fastest-spy-plane-may-be-back-and-hypersonic#xj4y7vzkg
https://sofrep.com/news/lockheed-martin-vp-suggests-they-may-already-have-an-operational-sr-72-prototype/
https://www.youtube.com/@UCS55F_ff1cvfI_JB14hdAGg
https://lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/2022/lockheed-martin-movies.html
https://twitter.com/LockheedMartin/status/1635026632032362497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1635026632032362497%7Ctwgr%5E199a62683a10a81fdd1b6b4cc65cc36caf859c20%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2Flockheed-hints-heavily-again-at-existence-of-secret-high-speed-jet
https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/29-february-1964/
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/hypersonic-scramjet-missile-hawc-successfully-tested-for-last-time/
https://www.hermeus.com/blog-abms#:~:text=Air%20Force%20Selects%20Hermeus%20for%20ABMS%20Contract%20with%20%24950%20Million%20Ceiling,-July%2014%2C%202022&text=We're%20excited%20to%20share,has%20a%20%24950%20million%20ceiling.
https://www.leidos.com/insights/leidos-awarded-334m-air-breathing-hypersonic-system-contract
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a40601729/everything-about-the-air-forces-secret-hypersonic-bomber/
https://www.businessinsider.com/sr-72-lockheed-martin-hinted-may-already-exist-2018-1
,f-15e,f15e,strike eagle,f15,usaf,us air force,air force,fighter jet,fighter jets,jets,aircraft,aviation,airpower,air-to-air,amraam,sidewinder,missile,missiles,drone,drones,iran,israel,silver star,bronze star,defense,tech,technology,warfare,dSg_Hrt3T2Y,UCNPMEL4N_kfEC-w2A6CuPGg, Military,Politics,Society, channel_UCNPMEL4N_kfEC-w2A6CuPGg, video_dSg_Hrt3T2Y,Go to https://ground.news/Sandboxx to stay fully informed on military developments around the world. Subscribe through my link right now for 50% off their Vantage Plan, which is what I use everyday.
-- BREAK --
Last week, 30 service members were recognized for their commitment to duty and courage under fire during the Iranian attack of April 13, 2024 — including Capt. Lacie “Sonic” Hester, an F-15E Strike Eagle Weapon Systems Officer, and her pilot, Maj. Benjamin “Irish” Coffey, both of whom received the nation’s third highest award for valor, the Silver Star.
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Citations:
https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/15/politics/american-fighter-pilots-describe-taking-down-iranian-drones/index.html
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/silver-star-air-action-usaf-defense-of-israel-part-1/
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/943819/generating-airpower-under-fire
https://missilethreat.csis.org/missile/sejjil/
https://missilethreat.csis.org/missile/soumar/
https://www.acc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1754204/air-force-icts-make-a-comeback/
https://www.dote.osd.mil/Portals/97/pub/reports/FY2011/af/2011f15e.pdf?ver=2019-08-22-112333-427
https://www.lakenheath.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3965795/gallantry-under-fire-raf-lakenheath-honors-decorated-airmen-for-repelling-mass/
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2024-04-14/israel-iran-centcom-13550736.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-launches-drone-attack-israel-expected-unfold-over-hours-2024-04-13/
https://apnews.com/article/strait-of-hormuz-vessel-33fcffde2d867380e98c89403776a8ac
https://mecouncil.org/publication/irans-missile-and-drone-program-disrupting-u-s-aerial-hegemony/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68811273
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-shahed-drones-israel-attack/32904882.html
https://odin.tradoc.army.mil/WEG/Asset/Shahed-136_Iranian_Loitering_Munition_Unmanned_Aerial_Vehicle_(UAV)
,elon musk,drone,drones,artificial intelligence,ai,fighter jets,stealth,stealth fighter,f-35,f35,elon musk f35,air defense,ukraine,ngad,airpower,aviation,aircraft,us military,military,us air force,air force,defense,tech,technology,drone swarms,BPAI3wOKgXw,UCNPMEL4N_kfEC-w2A6CuPGg, , channel_UCNPMEL4N_kfEC-w2A6CuPGg, video_BPAI3wOKgXw,Want to get your REC Watch? Direct link to the X4009 collection is here: https://www.recwatches.com/timepieces...
Coupon code SAND is active on our website and can be used in conjunction with pre-order items!
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Citations:
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1860730086909215155
https://www.sandboxx.us/news/heres-why-elon-musk-is-wrong-about-fighter-jets-but-right-about-drones/
https://www.sandboxx.us/news/elon-musk-calls-for-a-drone-to-compete-with-the-f-35/
https://www.sandboxx.us/news/tech/todays-artificial-intelligence-isnt-quite-what-you-think-but-its-still-crazy/
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2410.05229
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/nhtsa-opens-probe-into-24-mln-tesla-vehicles-over-full-self-driving-collisions-2024-10-18/
https://breakingdefense.com/2024/11/for-air-superiority-usaf-most-pursue-effective-rather-than-affordable-mass/
https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2012/5/1/2012may-u2-global-hawk-advocates-square-off-in-budget-battle
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/usaf-retire-u-2-2026/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2024/06/12/ukrainian-atacms-rockets-are-blowing-up-russias-best-s-400-air-defenses-as-fast-as-the-s-400s-can-deploy-to-crimea/
,1,Go to https://ground.news/Sandboxx to stay fully informed on military developments around the world. Subscribe through my link right now for 40% off their Vantage Plan, which is what I use everyday.
-- BREAK --
Nestled deep within the Air Force's Nevada Test and Training Range, the remote and highly classified facility we've come to know as Area 51 has been the heart of secretive American aircraft programs — and a fair bit of modern folklore — for more than a half-century now.
Let's talk about how they manage to keep the cutting-edge programs they test away from the prying eyes of the public... and the spy satellites zooming overhead.
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Citations:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/satellite-image-of-area-51/
https://www.dreamlandresort.com/
https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/intelligence/2013-10-29/area-51-file-secret-aircraft-soviet-migs
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/spiesfly/phot-09.html
https://www.roadrunnersinternationale.com/haveblue.html
https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB443/docs/area51_03.PDF
https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/intelligence/2013-10-29/area-51-file-secret-aircraft-soviet-migs
https://www.lazygranch.com/janair.html
https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/area-51-and-the-accidental-test-flight/
https://www.space.com/23476-area-51-declassified-cold-war-documents.html
https://www.wired.com/2008/01/area-51-customs/
https://www.discovery.com/exploration/Area-51-Tikaboo-Peak
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE97G012/
https://www.ll.mit.edu/about/history/sage-semi-automatic-ground-environment-air-defense-system#:~:text=On%20September%203%2C%201949%2C%20a,the%20Soviet%20Union's%20Kamchatka%20Peninsula.
https://www.archives.gov/files/declassification/iscap/pdf/2014-004-doc01.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20131004234639/https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/kent-csi/vol15no1/html/v15i1a01p_0001.htm
https://www.space.com/23476-area-51-declassified-cold-war-documents.html
https://irp.fas.org/cia/product/sovrec64.pdf
,1,On Tuesday, DARPA unveiled its newest experimental aircraft, or X-Plane, known as the XRQ-73 SHEPARD, short for Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration program.
This new aircraft's title may be a mouthful, but its advanced new hybrid propulsion system could allow this aircraft to fly longer duration intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions than any aircraft before it, and all while dramatically reducing both its acoustic (sound) and thermal (heat) signatures.
Let's talk about why this technology could be vital for the future of American military operations.
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Citations:
https://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2024-06-24
https://theaviationist.com/2024/06/25/darpa-announces-new-xrq-73/
https://www.twz.com/32807/exclusive-unmasking-northrop-grummans-xrq-72a-great-horned-owl-spy-drone
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/darpa-xrq-73-flying-wing-reconnaissance-x-plane/
,1,There's been a great deal of discussion about the forthcoming 6th generation of fighters, believed to be led by the U.S. Air Force's ongoing Next Generation Air Dominance Program... But do these generational designations still make sense?
Let's talk about why we may see this sort of fighter classification die out in the coming years, and why that might just be okay.
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Citations:
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/0908issbf/
https://www.amazon.com/Fighter-Aircraft-1914-1918-Richard-1988-07-02/dp/B01K2WF46K
https://www.sandboxx.us/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-fighter-generations-2/
https://www.sandboxx.us/news/the-future-of-americas-ngad-stealth-fighter-may-be-in-question/
https://breakingdefense.com/2024/05/a-7th-gen-fighter-bae-has-thoughts-on-what-that-could-look-like/
https://www.sandboxx.us/news/what-does-it-actually-mean-when-we-say-5th-generation-fighter/
,1,Recent hints that Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division may have already delivered an advanced new spy plane to the United States Air Force have prompted a resurgence in speculation about a secretive aircraft known to many as the SR-72.
This program was once not only publicly disclosed, but being developed under sporadic bouts of media attention and general fanfare, that is, until March of 2018 when the effort suddenly fell silent... At least, almost silent.
Here's the true and untold story of Lockheed Martin's legendary hypersonic spy plane, the SR-72.
📱 Follow Sandboxx News on social
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📱 Follow Alex Hollings on social
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Citations:
https://defaeroreport.com/2023/11/02/defense-aerospace-air-power-podcast-ep40-ask-dr-science/
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/secret-skunk-works-spy-drone-delivered-to-air-force-report
https://www.sandboxx.us/news/spy-satellites-arent-nearly-as-all-seeing-as-you-think
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1990/03/07/sr-71-plane-roars-into-retirement/e15a720e-add5-4eca-91a0-4916b3389b35/
https://www.nbcnews.com/sciencemain/son-blackbird-meet-sr-72-lockheeds-planned-new-hypersonic-spy-8c11528419
https://web.archive.org/web/20150901083648/http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/features/2015/sr-72.html
https://news.usni.org/2013/11/05/lockheed-martin-sr-72-plane-paper
https://web.archive.org/web/20150630195346/http://lockheedmartin.com/us/news/features/2015/sr-72.html
http://aviationweek.com/defense/skunk-works-hints-sr-72-demonstrator-progress
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a26796/hypersonic-sr-72-aircraft/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-16/america-s-fastest-spy-plane-may-be-back-and-hypersonic#xj4y7vzkg
https://sofrep.com/news/lockheed-martin-vp-suggests-they-may-already-have-an-operational-sr-72-prototype/
https://www.youtube.com/@UCS55F_ff1cvfI_JB14hdAGg
https://lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/2022/lockheed-martin-movies.html
https://twitter.com/LockheedMartin/status/1635026632032362497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1635026632032362497%7Ctwgr%5E199a62683a10a81fdd1b6b4cc65cc36caf859c20%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2Flockheed-hints-heavily-again-at-existence-of-secret-high-speed-jet
https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/29-february-1964/
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/hypersonic-scramjet-missile-hawc-successfully-tested-for-last-time/
https://www.hermeus.com/blog-abms#:~:text=Air%20Force%20Selects%20Hermeus%20for%20ABMS%20Contract%20with%20%24950%20Million%20Ceiling,-July%2014%2C%202022&text=We're%20excited%20to%20share,has%20a%20%24950%20million%20ceiling.
https://www.leidos.com/insights/leidos-awarded-334m-air-breathing-hypersonic-system-contract
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a40601729/everything-about-the-air-forces-secret-hypersonic-bomber/
https://www.businessinsider.com/sr-72-lockheed-martin-hinted-may-already-exist-2018-1
