Rumor has it that Lockheed Martin has already delivered the SR-72 hypersonic spy plane to the Air Force.

There are rumors that Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division, which developed the SR-71 Blackbird, a supersonic reconnaissance aircraft that was active during the US-Soviet Cold War, has already handed over a new successor aircraft to the US Air Force. The only source of information is a statement by Vago Muradian, editor-in-chief of the military information site Defense&Aerospace Report, but the military news site Sandboxx notes that ``many people believe what Mr. Muradian says,'' and the accuracy is It is received as high quality information.

Defense & Aerospace Air Power Podcast [Nov 02, 23] Ep40: Ask Dr. Science - Defense & Aerospace Report

Did Skunk Works Deliver Its New Spy Plane to the Air Force?

The U.S. Air Force operated the SR-71, a reconnaissance aircraft known as the 'Blackbird' during the Cold War period between the 1960s and 1980s. The SR-71 has the ability to ``cruise at a maximum speed of Mach 3 at an altitude of 85,000 feet (approximately 25,000 m)'' and has a record of zero shots down. However, it was retired in 1998 due to problems such as being too expensive to operate.

After the retirement of the SR-71, the remaining reconnaissance aircraft included the U-2, which has been in operation since the 1950s, and the RQ-4 Global Hawk, an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, but these aircraft were unable to penetrate advanced air defense networks and obtain information. Due to its lack of performance, the U.S. Air Force needed a successor to the SR-71.

Northrop Grumman developed the RQ-180 stealth drone. However, it was introduced in 2015, and although images of the aircraft in flight and operational results have been confirmed, information about the aircraft has not been officially released.

Mr. Muradian brought up the topic of the RQ-180 on a podcast, mentioning that there is a reconnaissance aircraft project by Skunk Works that runs parallel to the RQ-180, and that ``some items have already been provided to the Air Force.'' It's very ambitious and I understand that some changes have been made to get to the next block of aircraft.'

The reason why ``items already provided to the Air Force'' is thought to refer to the SR-72 is because there is multiple circumstantial evidence that indicates that the Air Force has already received the SR-72. is.

The SR-72 is an aircraft that Skunk Works is 'developing with the aim of making its first flight by 2030,' and the plan itself has been disclosed.

In addition, the news site Popular Mechanics mentioned that there was a scene in the movie ``Top Gun Maverick'' in which Maverick, played by Tom Cruise, challenges Mach 10 in a test machine called ``Dark Star'', and that Lockheed Martin, who collaborated on the movie, He said that when he discovered that he had indeed developed the SR-72, which was capable of flying at hypersonic speeds, he reaffirmed his contribution to the film.

By the way, the SR-72, which flies at over Mach 5, will exceed the SR-71's record for the highest speed of a manned jet aircraft, Mach 3, but Popular Mechanics says it is expected to be an unmanned aircraft rather than a manned aircraft. I'm pointing it out.