Key Points: The US maintains deep secrecy around its SR-72 “Darkstar” hypersonic aircraft program, unlike China’s public showcasing of new military prototypes.
-This classified approach protects the advanced technologies enabling the uncrewed SR-72’s potential Mach 6+ speed, intended for intelligence gathering (ISR) and possibly strike missions with hypersonic weapons.
-Developed by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works since 2013, details remain scarce, contrasting sharply with the B-21 Raider’s managed public reveal.
-This intense secrecy reflects the need to guard critical capabilities from rivals, suggesting any public unveiling of the SR-72 is likely many years away, prioritizing security over publicity.
Meet the SR-72 Darkstar
The Chinese are not bashful when it comes to showing off new military airplanes.
The Chinese air force conducts performances at air shows, displays gleaming new prototypes at expos, or simply flies overhead to allow internet sleuths to document their performance on social media.
You usually know exactly how robust and exquisite the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s (PLAAF’s) warplanes promise to be.
The United States is different. The Americans often do not fly a plane for a general audience until there is a chance to carefully manicure a dedicated event. The PLAAF is always looking for ways to pilfer and copy designs, so U.S. defense contractors have to be secretive.
The programs they are developing cost multiple billions of dollars, and it is important to keep a tight lid on any technological advances.
But some Americans might like to show off—to flex their muscles and reassure policymakers, legislators, and the general public just how successful U.S. warplane development is. U.S. President Donald Trump would love to have a military parade in Washington, DC, someday, and that would be the perfect occasion to display American aerospace might.
One aircraft many would love to see in person is the SR-72 Darkstar. The reported “Son of Blackbird” spy plane is under development at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works.
No outside civilian has seen it, on the ground or in flight. Lockheed Martin has publicly confirmed that the ultra-high-speed aircraft exists, but no concrete details have leaked.
The SR-72 Will Have Exceptional Speed
The SR-72 could fly as fast as Mach 6—an unprecedented speed of more than 4,600 miles per hour. It will be uncrewed, meaning there is no need to develop technologies that would protect pilots at such high speeds. The SR-72’s predecessor, the SR-71 Blackbird, could famously hit Mach 3.6, or around 2,731 mph. The Soviet Union launched around 4,000 missiles at the SR-71, and they never scored a hit.
The Son of Blackbird will generate considerable heat at the ultra-high altitudes it purports to reach, so the materials science behind it will need to be exceptional. The coatings for stealth and heat deflection will be noteworthy developments and will likely kick off a race to see which country can fly an airplane at the highest speeds and hottest temperatures in the future.
The Hypersonic Jet With Hypersonic Weapons
We know that the SR-72 will gather intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data. That’s why it needs to sneak so carefully—why it requires blistering speed and remarkable stealth. But what if it could drop bombs or launch missiles, too?
If the Darkstar, flying at hypersonic speeds, could launch its own hypersonic missiles, it would significantly increase the efficacy of ground strikes. This would overwhelm Russian and Chinese air defenses that feature S-400 and S-500 surface-to-air missile launchers.
However, by the time the Darkstar is ready, the Chinese and Russians might also have leaped ahead in anti-aircraft technology.
Radars would be better, and the S-500 (or S-600, if it so evolves) could use artificial intelligence or quantum computing that might make its interceptor missiles much more reliable.
If those missiles also traveled at hypersonic speeds, perhaps they could destroy the SR-72.
Keep It Hidden to Create More Survivability
That’s why the United States is keeping this spy bird under wraps. It may never make a splash like the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bomber, which made its first public appearance in November 2022 with a front view that allowed a look at its B-2-like flying-wing design. There were public videos and images of the B-21 in flight available in 2024.
Will the United States ever show off the Darkstar? Many Americans are still obsessed with the “father” of the SR-72, and now that fixation extends to the Son of Blackbird. But it remains classified.
The Air Force wants to maintain secrecy to protect advanced systems. Plus, the spy plane is probably not anywhere near ready—indeed, as of now it is not even known whether the plane is yet ready for ground testing.
The Air Force is also developing the RQ-180 stealth spy drone, and that could be taking away funding, even though Skunk Works likely operates under special-projects-budget line items that are safer from cuts. We may have to wait another five years before it is unveiled—it probably will not appear in any military parade that Trump cooks up.
Therefore, the Americans are not totally like the Chinese. We often neither confirm nor deny an airplane program is surging forward. Some airplanes are shown off when they are fully operational, or when their design is fully configured—but don’t look for the Darkstar to be one of those programs that gets a huge public splash.
This program is just too much of a top-secret endeavor.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
