US Air Force rumored to have hypersonic successor to SR‑71
The United States Air Force is reportedly already equipped with the successor to the world's fastest aircraft to date, the SR-71 Blackbird, according to Nicholas Drummond, a military analyst and former British Army infantry officer, on the X platform. Drummond refers to rumors heard during the RIAT air shows in the United Kingdom.
1:16 PM EDT, July 23, 2024
21st-century aviation has advanced to a point where achieving new technological milestones poses a significant challenge for aircraft manufacturers. The defense industry naturally evolves its projects by refining them with ever-newer technological solutions, striving to deliver increasingly faster machines.
A record-holder from the USA
The leader in terms of the fastest military aircraft in the world has continuously been the American Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird since 1976. The record-holder accelerated several decades ago to exactly 2,124 mph – still unattainable for aircraft today. However, according to Drummond, the Americans are now said to have a successor to the Blackbird.
The expert reports on X that "from indiscreet public comments by individuals associated with the aviation industry, it appears that the US Air Force has already developed a hypersonic aircraft to replace the SR-71." This new machine is said to accelerate to speeds over Mach 5, which is over 3,806 mph.
According to Drummond, the new aircraft from the United States is a strike and reconnaissance machine capable of operating at high altitudes and long ranges. The successor to the Blackbird is to be equipped with a dual propulsion system. "A concept similar to Darkstar from Top Gun," notes Drummond.
"This rumor may be nothing more than wishful thinking, but an aircraft of this type will appear on the market sooner or later, and when it does, it will be a significant change for the aviation industry," predicts the military analyst.
Drummond does not know specific data that would describe the new machine from the USA. It should be noted that the information provided by Drummond has not been confirmed by the Americans – so it should be treated as rumors. Currently, the fastest aircraft remains the SR-71 Blackbird, a reconnaissance-patrol machine produced by the American company Lockheed.
The elusive SR-71 Blackbird
The first flight of the Blackbird took place in December 1964. The aircraft was produced between 1963 and 1969 and was retired from army service in 1998 (by NASA a year later). Public data indicates that a total of 32 SR-71 units were built, of which 12 were lost in crashes.
The propulsion of these hypersonic aircraft is provided by two Pratt & Whitney JT11D-20B turbojet engines, each delivering 145 kN of thrust. The Blackbird's wingspan reaches almost 56 feet, while the overall length is just under 108 feet, with a height of 18 feet. The SR-71's empty mass exceeds 60,000 lbs. The American machine can operate at an altitude of up to 120,000 feet, while its range exceeds 3,170 miles without aerial refueling.
The SR-71 demonstrated its remarkable performance not only during its record-setting flight in the 1970s but also in 1986 when a Blackbird took off from the United Kingdom, conducted reconnaissance over Libya, and returned – despite the lack of French approval – by entering their airspace. The authorities ordered Mirage fighter jets to be scrambled, but they were unable to intercept the Blackbird due to its performance.
