The SR-72 “Darkstar” is designed as a successor to the iconic SR-71 Blackbird. According to the designers at Lockheed Martin, the plane can travel at hypersonic speeds up to Mach 6. The Darkstar gained popularity when featured in the movie “Top Gun: Maverick.”
In the film, the SR-72 is imagined to reach insane speeds up to Mach 10. But how practical would this speed be in reality, and is this technology even realistic?
SR-72: March 10 Monstrosity
The SR-72 is designed to fly at hypersonic speeds, reaching up to Mach 6, which is approximately 4,000 miles per hour (6,400 kilometers per hour). This is twice as fast as its predecessor, the SR-71 Blackbird, which could reach speeds of Mach 3.2.
In Top Gun, the Darkstar can travel at Mach 10, which is around 7,600 miles per hour. Such high speeds would allow the SR-72 to cover vast distances quickly, making it an invaluable asset for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
The SR-72’s ability to travel at Mach 10 would make it one of the US’s most valuable planes. Unlike traditional stealth aircraft that rely primarily on radar-evading technologies, the SR-72 combines speed with stealth. The aircraft’s hypersonic speed would make it incredibly difficult to intercept or target, as it can quickly outrun threats. This combination of speed and stealth enhances its ability to penetrate heavily defended airspace and gather critical intelligence without being detected.
Traveling at Mach 10, the SR-72 would be remarkably difficult for enemy radars to detect and track. Hypersonic objects like missiles are more difficult to detect based on their launch trajectory and speed.
Launching an object, like a ballistic missile, into space gives radar, which can see beyond the earth’s curvature, more time to detect the object. Hypersonic weapons, even at altitude, can avoid detection for longer, and combined with their speed, this gives a potential enemy limited time to react to their presence.
A Nightmare for Russia and China
The SR-72 could play a considerable role in future military operations. Its hypersonic capabilities would enable rapid response to emerging threats and provide real-time intelligence to decision-makers.
Additionally, the SR-72 could be equipped with advanced sensors and communication systems, further enhancing its ISR capabilities. The aircraft’s speed and agility would also make it suitable for strike missions, delivering precision-guided munitions to high-value targets.
The SR-71 could fly fast, but it could only take pictures. Its successor is not only more technologically advanced, boosting its ISR capabilities, but it can also deliver lethal strikes against enemy targets when necessary.
We don’t know what type of munitions the SR-72 will carry. They could be traditional precision munitions or special ordinances specifically made for the SR-72. Either way, a hypersonic aircraft capable of carrying out precision strikes adds a lot of versatility to the US arsenal.
Its predecessor, the SR-71, was the fastest manned aircraft ever built, but the SR-72 would be able to accomplish so much more. While the blackbird was ultimately beaten by satellites, spy satellites now have a key disadvantage: they are in orbit.
Being in orbit, potential adversaries can predict when spy satellites will overfly areas they would like to keep private. Modern-day military bases are built to provide overhead coverage as much as possible to prevent overhead espionage, so with calculative orbits, it’s easy to hide sensitive material before satellites pass by. The SR-72 can fly freely and unpredictably without being detected by its enemies.
March 10 is Still Science Fiction for Now
Unfortunately for Top Gun enthusiasts, as shown in the film, the Darkstar probably won’t exist for a long time. Building an airframe that can withstand such high speeds for prolonged amounts of time would require engineering feats that would cost a fortune, even by US government standards.
Even if an airframe could withstand the speeds, the pilot inside is not likely to survive due to the extreme force applied. Surviving such speeds would require safety equipment that does not yet exist. The closest the US has gotten to Top Gun’s Darkstar is the X-43A, an experimental unmanned aircraft currently in development by NASA.
Lockheed Martin proposed the SR-72 concept in 2013, with plans to have a test vehicle ready by 2025. The development of the SR-72 involves significant technological advancements, particularly in propulsion and materials science.
Engineers are exploring the use of high-performance composites, such as carbon, ceramic, and metal mixes, to withstand the extreme temperatures generated at hypersonic speeds. If successful, the SR-72 could enter service in the 2030s, providing the US military with a cutting-edge reconnaissance platform.
IN 2013, a demonstrator was planned to be released as early as 2018. The first flight was initially scheduled for 2023. There have been no glimpses of the demonstrator, and the test flight was rescheduled from 2023 to 2025.
The United States Air Force, for its part, has already said it has tested potential future generations of combat aircraft planned for introduction in 2030. However, it is unclear whether the SR-72 fell under this category.
SR-71: A Story in Photos
SR-71 Blackbird Spy Plane. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
SR-71 Spy Planes on the tarmac. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
SR-71 Blackbird Spy Plane. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Image is of an SR-71 Spy Plane. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Image of SR-71 Spy Plane. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
SR-71 Spy Plane. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
About the Author:
Isaac Seitz, a 19FortyFive Defense Columnist, graduated from Patrick Henry College’s Strategic Intelligence and National Security program. He has also studied Russian at Middlebury Language Schools and has worked as an intelligence Analyst in the private sector.
