"A Look At America's Next Spy-Plane The SR-72" Topic

" secret, hypersonic replacement for the legendary SR-71 promises to transform military aviation.

Born in the spy-vs.-spy cauldron of the Cold War, the iconic SR-71 "Blackbird" remains the fastest air-breathing military aircraft the world has known. It flew so high and so fast that enemy defenses were powerless to intercept it. Eventually, satellite technology and advanced radar eroded its advantage. In 1998, the U.S. Air Force retired it. Now, with regional threats growing and portable surface-to-air missiles evolving, engineers have once again set out to build the fastest military jet on the planet.

This time, it will take the form of a 4,000-mile-per-hour reconnaissance drone with strike capability. Known as the SR-72, the aircraft will evade assault, take spy photos, and attack targets at speeds of up to Mach 6. That's twice as fast as its predecessor…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Off we go into the wild blue yonder. About time.

We will know about the next US spy plane many years after it has been in operation. Some say there has been one for quite some time already. Who knows? No one who's telling anyway.

This is the modern version of the UFO distraction

There are other technologies

The F117 was operational for roughly 10 years before the US admitted it's existence. About the same for the U2 and SR71.

Basically, about the time they start the design studies for the replacement.

Okay color me confused about this article….

At first it states this:

It flew so high and so fast that enemy defenses were powerless to intercept it. Eventually, satellite technology and advanced radar eroded its advantage. In 1998, the U.S. Air Force retired it.

Okay….but then it says:

Now, with regional threats growing and portable surface-to-air missiles evolving, engineers have once again set out to build the fastest military jet on the planet.

Uhhh…correct me if I am wrong but with SAM's evolving, would't you want to have a satellite where it can't be shot down by an evolved SAM instead of an airplane that can???

Am I missing something here?….

Murphy, I'm thinking we've reached the point where satellites aren't safe recon platforms either. They follow predictable paths and don't change that path quickly or easily. A Mach 6 drone can go places more deftly than a satellite.

I think.

:)

If this SR-72 guy is the vehicle, what is this little guy up to?

A plane can be tasked in a shorter time, and with a less predictable overhead time, than the satellites. They can look up when the spy satellite will be overhead and get stuff out of sight.

The SR-71 was able to outfly most SAMs back in the day.

By the time the enemy radar operators detected it, and were able to track it, it was gone.

Also, with its advanced ECM, it was very difficult to lock on to.

From what I've read, I think only the Swedes were really able to do that, and they had lots of practice on it, flying predictable routes over the Baltic.

My understanding is that the Egyptian/Russian operators were unsuccessful in their attempts, back in the Yom Kippur War.

Now, with regional threats growing and portable surface-to-air missiles evolving, engineers have once again set out to build the fastest military jet on the planet.

Uhhh…correct me if I am wrong but with SAM's evolving, would't you want to have a satellite where it can't be shot down by an evolved SAM instead of an airplane that can???

Am I missing something here?…

Satellites are very predictable, you can do things to give misleading info to a satellite.

Aircraft can be tasked to overfly areas when the locals are not expecting a satellite to be overhead. Very fast aircraft can be re-tasked in flight after the locals get the message that there is an aircraft overhead for one spot and instead look at a different site.

Not to forget that the US has developed an evolved SAM capable of swatting down satellites in sufficiently low orbits, the SM3.

As others have said aircraft have operational flexibility that satilites don't. Including turning and making a second or subsequent pass from a different angle without having to do a complete Earth orbit or massive burn of limited fuel first.