INCREDIBLE plans have been revealed for a hypersonic superjet dubbed “Son of Blackbird” that could soon become the world’s fastest aircraft.
Building on the legacy of the SR-71 Blackbird, the SR-72 “Darkstar” is reportedly part of a top-secret US Air Force project to dominate the skies and project power to the enemies.
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The SR-72 is thought to be the potential answer to a near-perfect plane as it’s set up to be a super-fast, hypersonic high-altitude surveillance aircraft.
The next-generation aircraft is designed to reach speeds of Mach 6 (4000mph) – doubling its predecessor’s top speed and introducing cutting-edge capabilities for modern combat scenarios.
Son of Blackbird could be revolutionary in the way the military uses their aircraft.
According to Airforce Technology, the aircraft will be a hypersonic reconnaissance aircraft which will use state-of-the-art aerospace technology for long-range missions.
read more US fighter jets
It will also be capable of hitting targets on any continent within an hour, provided it is equipped with hypersonic missiles, Interesting Engineering reports.
Top aerospace and defence tech company Lockheed Martin is said to be developing the futuristic plane behind the curtains.
It is part of their Advanced Development Programs, also known as “Skunk Works” and is a hypersonic demonstrator aircraft set to first take flight in the mid-2020s.
No concrete details have ever been disclosed about the futuristic jet, but concept art and other compelling details are said to have been “leaked” over the years.
Lockheed Martin announced in 2018 that they are working on the SR-72 project, with a prototype expected to fly very soon.
The US Air Force and the Pentagon have never officially confirmed or denied the existence of the craft.
It is also not yet clear if Lockheed Martin has been given an official go-ahead by the USAF to complete a prototype for consideration.
Some fans have added the “Darkstar” moniker to the SR-72 name after a similar concept plane with the same name was seen in Top Gun: Maverick, which was released in 2022.
It comes just days after Donald Trump announced his plans for a futuristic fighter jet that is set to be the deadliest in history.
Trump met with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the Oval Office on Friday to announce the project.
The F-47, named in a nod to himself and his second term, is a sixth-generation manned fighter jet.
The US commander-in-chief has named the historic aircraft after himself and revealed some of the key components of the air force’s new fleet.
Program coordinators plan to use sophisticated robotic wingmen designed by Anduril Industries and General Atomics in the drones, according to Axios.
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Trump has not confirmed how much the huge project will cost the US.
A source close to the Next Generation Air Dominance said the program was given upwards of $20 billion.
The contract for the deadly new military aircraft was awarded to the struggling American company Boeing and they are set to replace Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor.
Trump revealed the jets would be built in the next “couple of years” and revealed that production is already underway.
He claimed the plane has “secretly been flying for almost five years,” and will rule the skies with “many drones, as many as we want.”
Trump added: “Our allies are calling constantly, they want to buy them all”.
Hegseth said the F-47 project would establish “the next generation of air dominance”.
List of fighter jets used by the Air Force
THE US Air Force uses four different F-series fighter jets.
Here is an inside look at the top-tier weapons:
- F-15 Eagle – This is an extremely manoeuvrable fighter built to operate in all weather conditions. According to the Air Force, the Eagle can, “penetrate enemy defence and outperform and outright any current enemy aircraft.”
- F-16 Fighting Falcon – This craft is more compact and can have several roles in the Air Force. It’s quick and excels in air-to-air combat. The Falcon, “provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied nations.”
- F-22 Raptor – The Raptor is the pinnacle of US air combat excellence. This model takes a more operational role in the skies with stealth capabilities that are ideal for recon missions. The jet assists multiple military branches and “cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft.”
- F-35A Lightning II – This model is an upgraded version of the Air Force’s ageing fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolt IIs. The jets, “bring with it an enhanced capability to survive in the advanced threat environment in which it was designed to operate.”
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