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A True Game Changer: The SR-72 “Son of Blackbird” (also called the SR-72 Darkstar), Lockheed Martin’s hypersonic successor to the legendary SR-71, aims to achieve speeds of Mach 6.

-This unmanned platform uses a turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) engine, switching from a conventional turbofan to a scramjet for sustained hypersonic flight.

-Designed for reconnaissance and strike missions, the SR-72 could render China’s anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) defenses obsolete by outpacing modern anti-air systems.

-However, challenges persist: America’s fragile defense industrial base, exorbitant costs, and engineering hurdles could delay its operational debut.

-If successful, the SR-72, expected to enter service by the 2030s, would revolutionize modern airpower and deterrence strategies.

SR-72 Hypersonic Jet: Speed to Crush China’s A2/AD Defenses?

The SR-72 project (a.k.a. “Son of Blackbird”) was first hinted at way back in 2007, with Lockheed Martin working towards an aircraft capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 6 (around 4,000 miles per hour). If the Son of Blackbird was built, and if it could live up to its high expectations, then it would beat the record of its iconic predecessor, the SR-71 “Blackbird” (which possesses a top speed of Mach 3.2). 

Despite the rumors, the Son of Blackbird was kept under wraps until 2013, although detailed information about its design was kept quiet. 

Since that time, though, more information about the Son of Blackbird has come out, not least because the 2022 smash hit, Top Gun: Maverick actually displayed what the filmmakers thought the SR-72 would look like. In fact, the film version of the SR-72 (“Darkstar,” in the movie) was so realistic that China supposedly re-tasked one of their spy satellites to eavesdrop on the filming of Top Gun 2 because the mock-up that was built for the film was so realistic looking. 

Understanding the SR-72 Son of Blackbird 

The SR-72, in reality, is somewhat different from what was portrayed in the film.

Yet, the basics are similar. Essentially, the SR-72 is an experimental plane designed by the Eggheads at Lockheed Martin’s Skunkworks in Palmdale, Calif., that is meant to revolutionize reconnaissance and, possibly, even long-range strike missions via hypersonic flight. 

One key difference between the real SR-72 and what appeared in the newest Top Gun film is that the SR-72 is supposed to be an unmanned drone. 

Son of Blackbird is believed to incorporate advanced materials that can withstand extreme temperatures generated by hypersonic flight, where air friction heats the aircraft to levels that could melt conventional materials used in other birds. Its propulsion system is unique, too.

According to some reports, the propulsion system is based on a turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) system. TBCC combines a traditional turbofan for takeoff and low-speed flight with a scramjet for high-speed, hypersonic cruising.

What’s a Scramjet?

A scramjet is exactly as it sounds. For starters, the scramjet is a supersonic combustion, airbreathing engine. The engine uses external air for combustion and is widely considered the best engine to use for hypersonic flight in the atmosphere because, unlike a rocket, the scramjet need not carry oxygen onboard. 

Now, the problem for the SR-72 from an engineering perspective resides in the fact that the TBCC engine must switch from conventional turbofan engine (of the kind that most airplanes and some drones use today) to the scramjet for hypersonic flight. Engineers of the plane believe they’ve worked out the flaws.

The beauty of the scramjet being deployed is that, once the bird reaches its top speed conventionally, it then activates that scramjet to go hypersonic. The scramjet simply allows for the SR-72 to operate most efficiently at hypersonic speeds and makes it possible sustain high-speed flight over long distances.

It is in this process that the bird is able to achieve and maintain Mach 6 speeds.

SR-72 artist rendering. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Speed Trumps Stealth in the Age of A2/AD

For decades, stealth had been the preferred technological accoutrement to have on warplanes and spy planes. Indeed, that remains the case for many systems. But detection systems and anti-aircraft platforms are constantly evolving, catching up to the stunning strides that America’s stealth planes have made since being revealed 30 years ago. 

Now, Air Force planners are looking to speed augmenting stealth. Hence, the fixation on hypersonic capabilities. 

What does it matter if your enemies have created an advanced anti-aircraft system that can track stealth planes if the missiles they’re firing at the incoming enemy plane cannot catch up to the hypersonic craft? 

With this plane, notably if the Pentagon was able to equip the SR-72 with a weapons package, modern anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) defenses, of the kind that China has spent the better part of a decade investing in and deploying, will be rendered irrelevant.

If war erupted, SR-72s could both surveil the enemy and knock out his critical systems without ever risking being shot down before (or even after) accomplishing these vital mission sets.

SR-72. Image Credit: Lockheed Martin.

SR-72. Image Credit: Lockheed Martin.

 

Some Problems to Consider 

Of course, these birds are not without their problems. Indeed, the biggest problem facing any new system designed for the US military is the fact that America’s defense industrial base is, frankly, broken. 

This has been the reality for many years. 

Now that real near-peer rivals, such as China and Russia, are becoming significant challenger to the US military in their respective regions of the world, America’s deeply flawed defense industrial base could prevent complex platforms like the SR-72 from ever being fully realized.

Beyond these problems are a number of technical complications that engineers on the program are still working to overcome. As noted above, the kinds of materials needed for the SR-72’s hypersonic flight capabilities are complex and, therefore, expensive to procure.

There are other factors, such as the autonomous functions that the designers envision for this unmanned bird. 

What’s more, the cost involved in building a sufficient quantity of these units remains high, meaning that there is no guarantee the program will reach the level of development needed to make a difference at the strategic level.

The Way Forward on SR-72

Nevertheless, Lockheed Martin believes the demonstrator for the craft could fly as early as next year, with it entering operational service by the 2030s.

SR-72

SR-72. Image Credit – Artist rendering.

There’s also little doubt that the notion of the SR-72 has caught the public’s imagination—and has put real fear into the Chinese military—meaning that this program should be pursued at all costs. 

If the Air Force could build this program to the level it plans to, this capability could prove to be a real difference-maker in near-peer combat. 

About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert 

Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior Editor at 19FortyFive.com and a contributor at Popular Mechanics, consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, The American Spectator, and the National Interest. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.