Posted on 11/02/2013 6:03:43 AM PDT by LSUfan
Could Lockheed Martin Skunk Works’ SR-72 hypersonic concept design fill the Pentagon’s need for a penetrating intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft? The answer could be yes.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.usni.org ...
Doesn’t the release of a concept sketch mean the prototype is working well?
One of the biggest blunders was decommissioning the SR-71...IMHO. Perfectly good aircraft with years left in service life and it was ditched with the preposterous excuse that it was “Too expensive to operate”.
dunno...nice looking concept drawing, though. Penetrating ISR.....hmmm. Does that mean it goes so fast nothing can catch it? Flies so high?
If I were going to develop a counter to one of these, I think I’d investigate some sort of atmospheric seeding combustion killer that could be dispersed by missile over a large area in front of it.... that is, if you knew where it was going
Why even speculate about this? Under the current regime it would not be fair for the US to have a superior military aircraft. The only thing Obama would do with this file is to hand it over to the Chinese, or even the Saudis.
You know the Clintoons would.
Speaking from professional experience, it is much more likely that such program would have a quite different name.
I remember buying an "F-19" model as a teen (the aircraft also showed up in a wargame that I bought). But the real program at Tenopah turned out to be the F-117--which looks entirely different. And frankly, the F-117 should have been called "A-117" given its actual combat role.
Don’t be ridiculous, the Clinton’s wouldn’t simply hand over US technology to our enemies. They’d have to receive a political contribution from a US citizen confederate before they would compromise US security by technology transfer.
“Too expensive to operate” = “We already have a replacement”.
Exactly. We rarely see the new generation.
Reminds me in my model building days I had a model of an SR-71 which included sidewinder air-to-air missiles deployed from small missile bays under the belly. One can't imagine an SR-71 engaging in air-to-air combat.
It could launch missiles and get to the target ahead of them. :)
I was remembering the donations he received from Loral’s Bernie Schwartz and the subsequent permitting of the transfer of missile MIRV technology to the chicoms. That enabled the development of the Chinese ICBM.
Fifty years and trillions of dollars in defense investments by the American taxpayer was obliterated in a single afternoon transfer of $100,000 to the impeached former president’s campaign account. And the chicoms were able to make a 20 year leap in technological prowess through an incidental investment.
In June 1986, the Soviets were finally able to mount a successful SR-71 intercept using their new MiG-31 Foxhounds. In a coordinated intercept over the Barents Sea, six Mig-31s subjected a lone SR-71 to an all-angle air-to-air missile intercept. Fortunately for the American crew, they were over international waters, but the Soviets had proven their point. I’m guessing that once the Blackbird lost its aura of invincibility, the Air Force decided to phase it out and look for something hypersonic rather than supersonic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_YF-12
If the sr 72 really does cruise at mach 6, this plane probably can be used as a bomber. Who needs stealth when you are at mach 6. I don’t even think there are any missles except for ICBMs that can catch a mach 6 plane.
It would also make an interesting commercial plane. You can go from NY to Beijing in about 3 hours.
Special mechanics, special pilots/training, and most expensive - special fuel delivered by aerial tankers in faraway places. If you wanted to track the SR-71 you might follow the KC-135 tanker carrying its special fuel and wait for the blackbird to show up. Knowing this, I suspect the AF would have a whole fleet of KC-135's full of the special fuel in the air all over the world, with only one or two actually meeting up with an SR-71. Expensive enough yet?
Also, I believe improvements in sensing and anti-aircraft missile tech made it increasingly dangerous to fly over hostile territory. Maybe there's still a need for recon, but is a manned aircraft still needed for this job?
OTOH I have to agree that decommissioning the SR-71 was a mistake. Beautiful aircraft, unique design, still the fastest thing in the air. It should have been kept flying, but for pure research into the science of speed. If they quit trying to keep it so secret, a lot of the expense would go away.
We will have to agree to disagree: At the time the SR-71 was decommissioned there was nothing that even got close to shooting it down. To compare the cost of operating a totally successful aircraft to developing a new one isn’t even close... as far as the special fuel...why wouldn’t the same qualities be needed for the newer aircraft if it is going to operate in the same environment? In my opinion the SR-71 was decommissioned for political reasons. I have nothing to offer as proof other than the liberal policy of F&*king up any military program that is successful!!!
I have heard a rumor that there was a particular USAF General who pushed to scrap the SR-71 program because he was bitter about washing out of the pilot selection process for SR-71s early in his career. When he achieved the rank and billet with the authority, he recommended to civilian leadership to end the program.
Don’t know if it is true.
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